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PERILS  AND  PLEASURES 


OP 


A  HUNTER'S  LIFE; 


OE  THE 


ROMANCE  OF  HUNTING 


BY  PEREGHIXE  HERNE. 


EVANS   &   CO., 

677    BROADWAY,   NEW   YORK. 

1858. 


Entered,  According  to  the  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1855,  by 
J.    W.    BRADLEY, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  in  an! 
for  the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


PHILADELPHIA : 

PRINTED   BY  KING  &   BAIRD, 

607   SANSOM   STREET. 


tsancrof  t  Library 


PREFACE. 


HUNTING,  which  is  the  amusement  of  most  of  those 
who  pursue  it,  is  a  business  with  many.  On  the 
borders  of  civilization,  and  in  the  midst  of  barba- 
rous and  half-civilized  regions,  are  men  whose  sole 
occupation  is  the  chase ;  and,  with  these  men,  it  is 
not  only  an  occupation,  but  a  delight.  They  live 
on  the  flesh  of  those  quadrupeds  and  birds  which 
are  considered  game,  and  they  pursue  with  a  fierce 
pleasure  those  beasts  of  prey  which  are  the  terror 
of  the  peaceful  rustic,  and  the  destroyers  of  his 
flocks  and  herds.  The  adventures  of  these  genuine 
hunters  are  full  of  thrilling  incidents  and  hair- 
breadth escapes.  They  constitute  the  romance  of 
hunting. 

(v) 


VI  -  PREFACE. 

In  the  following  autobiography  of  a  hunter,  the 
reader  will  find  a  specimen  of  this  species  of 
romance.  It  is  not  without  its  moral.  It  shows 
what  a  man  is  capable  of  daring  and  doing,  even 
for  the  mere  love  of  adventure;  and  thus  fore- 
shadows what  higher  things  he  might  dare  and  do 
under  the  potent  influence  of  a  higher  motive. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  L 
A  Bough  Bear-faced  Introduction.      -       -       -       •       -       -      18 

CHAPTEB  II. 
The  Prairie  Wolf  and  the  Bocky  Mountain  Sheep.  -      18 

CHAPTEB  m. 
A  Comrade  and  Fresh  Sports.    -        -       -       -       -       --24 

CHAPTEB  IV. 
Camp  on  the  Little  Sand/.    Buffalo  in  abundance.  -      81 

CHAPTEB  V. 
Mr.  Palliser  and  his  friends.     Camp  Stories.       ....      87 

*• 

CHAPTEB  VI. 
Baiting  for  an  Alligator.    ------..94 

CHAPTEB  VH. 

Mr.  Palliser  continues  his  Adventures.       -----      52 

(vii) 


Viii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Breaking  up  of  the  Prairie  Camp.    Return  to  the  Mountains. 

Antelope.     Carcagieu.         ----..-67 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Morning  among  the  Rocky  Mountains.    Encounter  with  Sho- 

shonees.    A  .Grizzly  Bear.     Fight  and  terrible  result.  63 

CHAPTER  X. 

Fire  on  the  Mountains.     Narrow  Escape.     The  Beaver  Region. 

Trapping  Beaver.        -------.70 

CHAPTER  XL 

Arrival  of  Joe  Blaney.    Kill  an  Arapaho.    Start  for  the  Ren- 
dezvous.     ---------- 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Life  at  the  Trapper's  Rendezvous.    Adventurous  engagement 

with  an  English  gentleman.          -        -        -        -        -        -      87 

CHAPTER  XTTT. 

A  Journey  and  Hunt  through  New  Mexico.     Start  for  South 

America.    ----------92 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
Arrival  at  Rio.    Hunting  in  the  Forests  of  Brazil.  -      99 

CHAPTER  XV. 
Buen9S  Ayres.     Hunting  on  the  Pampas.   -        -       ...    107 

CHATER  XVI. 

Life  on  the  Pampas.     Return  to  Buenos  Ayres.     Set  sail  for  the 

Cape  of  Good  Hope.    -        -        -        -        -        -        --    115 


CONTENTS.  fe 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Arrival  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Start  on  a  Hunting  Expedi- 
tion into  the  interior  of  Africa.  ------  122 

CHAPTER  XVIH 
Exciting  chase  of  the  Gemsbok.    Beauty  of  Orange  River.    Chase 

of  the  Rhinoceros.     Chase  of  an  Elephant.          -        .        -    128 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

The  Roar  of  the  Lion.  Still  Hunting  at  the  Fountain.  The  Lion 
and  the  Lioness.  The  Wildebeest.  Resume  the  March. 
Chase  of  the  Giraffe.  Buffaloes.  -  -  -  -  -  142 

CHAPTER  XX. 

The  Eland.  A  Bechuana  Kraal.  Herds  of  Wild  Elephants. 
Lions  attacked  by  Bechuanas.  Abundance  of  Game.  The 
Return  Trip.  Splendid  Sport.  Fall  Sick.  Arrival  at  Gra- 
hamstown.  .  .-  -  -  -  -  .  .  165 

CHATER  XXI. 

Arrival  at  Cape  Town.  Send  the  trophies  to  England.  Start 
for  Bombay.  The  Town  and  the  People.  Away  for  the 
Forests  and  Jungles.  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -179 

CHAPTER  XXH. 

The  Route.  Incidents  of  the  Journey.  Varied  Scenery.  Ar- 
rival in  the  Region  of  the  Tiger  and  the  Elephant.  Our  first 
Elephant  Hunt  in  India. -  -  186 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Domus.     Surat.    The  Nature  of  the  Jungles  beyond.    A  Boa 

Constrictor.    A  Tiger.    A  Lion.     Terrible  Conflict     -        -    194 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

The  City  of  Baroche.  The  Jungles  again.  Rhinoceros.  Ante- 
lope. Camp  in  the  Jungle.  Alarm.  A  Lion.  Sahtee.  Ar- 
rival at  Baroda.  -  . .  -  -  *  -  -  205 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

Baroda.  Continue  our  Journey  northward.  A  Singular  Mode 
of  Hunting  the  Tiger.  The  Falcon  and  the  Crows.  Boute 
toCambay. 218 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Cambay.  Th%  Journey  through  North  Guzerat.  The  Ichneumon. 
Adventure  with  a  Cobra  di  Capello.  Elephant  Catching. 
Hunting  the  Tiger  with  Elephants.  Ahmedabad.  Start  to 
Return  by  water  to  Bombay.  ------  227 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Leave  Bombay  for  Suez.  Journey  through  Egypt.  Sail  from 
Alexandria  for  Gibraltar.  Journey  through  Spain.  Crossing 
the  Pyrenees.  Encounter  with  a  Bear,  France.  England.  245 

CHAPTER  XXVm. 

England.  Mr.  Barrill's  Country  Seat.  A  Hunting  Expedition  to 
Tyrol.  Our  first  Chamois  Hunt  and  its  Thrilling  Incidents. 
Adventures  of  Chamois  Hunters.  Return  to  England.  Pre- 
pare to  Start  for  America. 260 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

America.  The  Native  Land.  Purchase  a  House  in  Texas.  Jour- 
ney to  Brown's  Hole.  The  Farmer  and  the  Hunter.  Con- 
cluding Picture.  290 


A  Pigeon  Hunt  on  the  Ohio. 
A  Wild-Hog  Hunt  in  Texas. 
Hunting  the  Black-tailed  Deer. 


PERILS  AND  PLEASURES 


OF 


A  HUNTER'S  LIFE, 


CHAPTER  I. 
A  ROUGH,  BEAR-FACED  INTRODUCTION. 

THE  grizzly  monster  glared  at  me  from  his  rocky  perch 
with 'the  eyes  of  a  fury.  It  was  no  time  for  hesitation. 
I  raised  my  rifle,  took  a  quick  aim  at  the  shoulder  of  the 
bear, — the  only  part  fairly  exposed — and  fired.  The 
next  moment  there  was  an  awful  growl,  and  my  fierce 
enemy  came  limping  down  the  pass  towards  me.  I 
turned  and  ran  toward  a  small  pine  that  stood  by  the  side 
of  the  pass,  about  a  hundred  yards  from  the  spot  where 
I  had  fired.  I  reached  the  tree,  dropped  my  rifle,  and, 
with  a  few  rapid  jerks,  reached  the  lower  limb,  just  as 
the  bear  dashed  to  the  foot.  Such  was  the  monster's 

2  (13) 


14  INTRODUCTION. 

tremendous  strength,  that  as  he  clasped  the  tree  I  thought 
he  would  break  its  trunk  in  twain.  How  he  growled  and 
glared  !  But  I  felt  comparatively  safe ;  and  with  a  mali- 
cious coolness,  I  pulled  out  my  revolver,  and  shot  ball 
after  ball  into  the  vital  parts  of  the  bear,  who  at  length, 
after  'receiving  the  ust  ball  in  his  side,  fell  over  and 
yielded  his  breath. 

"An  admirable  exploit!"  the  inexperienced  reader 
would,  perchance,  exclaim.  But  as  a  practised  hand  with 
the  rifle  and  revolver,  among  the  crags  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  I  could  not  consider  it  as  such.  My  father — 
old  Peregrine  Herne — may  he  have  reached  the  happy 
hunting-grounds ! — would  have  snapped  his  fingers  at  the 
achievement,  and  I  who  was  ambitious  of  "  treading  in 
the  footsteps  of  my  illustrious  predecessor"  —  merely 
judged  that  I  had  done  pretty  well.  I  was  then  about 
twenty-five  years  of  age.  Up  to  my  twentieth  year  I 
had  resided  in  St.  Louis,  with  my  mother,  more  attentive 
to  books  than  mountain  and  prairie  sports.  My  mother 
died,  and  I  then  joined  my  father,  who  was  the  most 
restless  of  men — in  his  hunting  expeditions  in  the  far 
west.  Five  years  of  such  a  life  had  given  me  the  expe- 
rience necessarv  to  make  a  hardy  mountaineer  and  a 
successful  hunter.  Having  killed  many  a  bear,  and 
made  many  a  narrow  escape  from  death,  it  couid  not  be 
expected  that  the  destruction  of  the  animal  mentioned 


INTRODUCTION.  15 

above  should  be  to  my  mind  an  admirable  exploit,  how* 
ever  it  may  appear  to  the  uninitiated. 

The  vanquished  bear  was  of  considerable  size — weigh- 
ing probably  twelve  hundred  pounds.  I  had  frequently 
seen  them  much  larger,  bears  weighing  fifteen  hundred 
pounds  being  common  in  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The 
skin,  I  thought,  would  be  a  valuable  addition  to  my  pack, 
and  the  fat  sides  promised  me  good  living  for  several 
days.  Skinning  the  bear  was  quickly  performed.  Ac- 
cording to  the  custom  of  the  mountaineers,  I  cut  off  one 
of  the  hind  feet  to  retain  as  a  trophy ;  then  secured  my 
steaks — hungry  as  I  was,  they  made  my  mouth  water, 
as  the  phrase  goes — and  leaving  the  carcass  to  the  wolves, 
descended  to  the  foot  of  the  pass. 

My  faithful  mules — Old  Fly  grass  and  Young  Oregon — 
were  cropping  the  scanty  herbage  near  a  small  rivulet  that 
ran  at  the  foot  of  the  rocks.  Their  packs  were  lying  under 
a  ledge — a  shady  spot  where  I  had  resolved  to  encamp 
when  startled  by  the  bear-sign.  It  was  the  afternoon  of 
a  June  day — the  sun  was  very  warm,  and  having  jour- 
neyed about  twenty  miles  since  daybreak,  I  was  fatigued 
enough  to  en-joy  a  cool  shade,  a  good  meal,  and  a  few 
whiffs  of  the  pipe.  Kindling  a  fire  was  a  work  of  some 
difficulty.  Trees  were  scarce  near  the  Pass.  I  was  at 
least  half  an  hour  in  gathering  dry  twigs,  bark,  and  leaves, 
nearly  the  same  time  was  occupied  in  hunting  up  a 


16  INTRODUCTION. 

stout  limb  for  what  is  usually  called  a  "back-log."  But 
the  fire  was  kindled,  and  with  the  ramrod  of  my  rifle  I 
spitted  the  steaks  for  broiling.  The  mules  were  tethered 
so  as  to  allow  them  plenty  of  grazing  room,  and  then  my 
mountain  camp  was  formed.  And  now  while  the  meat  is 
simmering  before  the  fire,  and  I  am  preparing  my  sea- 
soning, I  can  find  time  to  let  the  reader  know  where  I 
am,  how  I  got  there,  and  what  is  my  object. 

My  camp  was  within  about  twenty  miles  of  the  Great 
South  Pass,  in  the  Rocky  Mountains,  at  the  foot  of  a 
narrow  rugged  path,  worn  by  hunters  and  war-parties  of 
Indians.  At  this  point,  the  mountains  were  neither  lofty 
nor  steep,  but  very  rocky  and  bare.  The  rivulet  of  which 
I  have  spoken  was  one  of  the  many  which  went  to  form 
the  Sweet  Water  River.  From  the  foot  of  the  mountain 
an  undulating  plain  stretched  away,  covered  with  a  short 
parched  grass.  Occasionally  a  small  band  of  buffaloes, 
a  straggling  deer,  or  some  gaunt  wolves  would  appear  in 
the  distance,  linger  awhile,  and  then  hurry  out  of  sight, 
while  prairie-dogs,  chameleons,  and  enormous  beetles 
were  constantly  to  be  seen,  playing  among  the  grass  and 
sand.  From  my  camp,  I  'could  see  the  Wind  River 
Mountains,  glittering  in  mantles  of  snow,  while  the  Sweet 
Water  Mountain  capped  in  clouds,  looked  gray  and  cool, 
in  striking  contrast  with  the  plain  at  its  foot. 

So  much  for  my  situation.     As  to  the  wherefore  of  my 


INTRODUCTION.  17 

being  there,  a  few  words  of  explanation  will  suffice.  I 
had  been  trapping  beaver  up  the  Yellow  Stone,  and  hav- 
ing been  forced  to  leave  that  region  by  the  bands  of 
Blackfeet,  before  I  had  fairly  begun  to  trap,  I  had  come 
to  the  mountains,  with  the  hope  of  making  a  pack  of 
bear-skins,  or  at  least,  of  living  well  upon  the  meat  of  the 
bear  and  the  Rocky  Mountain  sheep.  Thus  far  I  had 
met  with  tolerable  fortune,  having  already  stowed  away 
in  my  packs,  three  bear-skins,  four  sheep-skins,  and  about 
a  dozen  deer-skins.  Still  I  had  much  work  to  perform, 
to  earn  my  winter's  support  at  the  mountaineer  rendez- 
vous, "Brown's  Hole."  Deprived  of  my  usual  stock  of 
beaver,  which  always  brought  me  a  good  living  price,  I 
knew  that  it  would  take  many  a  hunt  to  supply  the  defi- 
ciency. However,  my  mules  were  sound,  my  arms  in 
prime  order,  and  my  ammunition  was  abundant.  I  had 
the  fullest  confidence  in  my  own  ability  to  contend  with 
the  dangers  and  privations  of  the  wilderness,  and  as  I 
laid  myself  by  the  fire  on  that  June  night,  with  the  starry 
sky  for  a  roof,  and  the  howling  of  the  prairie-wolf  for  my 
lullaby.  I  feared  neither  wild  beast  nor  savage  man. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  PRAIRIE  WOLF  AND  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN 
SHEEP. 

I  CONTINUED  hunting  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  South 
Pass — the  region  in  which  game  of  all  kinds  was  abundant, 
and  where  my  solitary  life  was  occasionally  relieved  by  a 
meeting  with  hunters  or  emigrants.  The  only  Indians  I 
cared  to  avoid  were  the  Arapahoes  and  Blackfeet.  Strag- 
gling parties  of  those  tribes  occasionally  appeared  in  close 
proximity  to  me,  but  I  always  contrived  to  conceal  my- 
self, so  as  to  escape  their  notice.  Most  of  the  tribes  were 
friendly  to  the  white  hunters,  and  with  many  of  the  chiefs 
I  had  an  acquaintance  intimate  enough  to  insure  me 
against  attack.  I  was  known  among  them  as  a  good 
hunter,  and  was  always  sure  of  a  welcome  at  their  lodges. 

My  daily  expeditions  were  enlivened  with  many  adven- 
tures— and  some  occurrences  not  altogether  agreeable. 
One  day  I  shot  a  deer,  and  as  I  was  about  to  butcher  it, 
(18) 


HUNTING  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  SHEEP. 


PRAIRIE  WOLF  AND  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  SHEEP.         19 

another,  much  fatter,  came  in  sight.  Thinking  to  make 
property  of  both  animals,  I  left  the  dead  one  on  the 
ground  and  sprang  off  in  pursuit  of  the  one  last  seen. 
After  a  cautious  chase  of  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  I  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  a  fair  shot,  and  dropped  the  deer.  He 
was  a  noble  fellow,  evidently  destroyed  in  his  prime. 
Shouldering  him,  I  hastened  back  to  the  spot  where  I  had 
left  the  first  deer  killed.  Not  a  particle  was  visible  ex- 
cept some  hair ;  but  at  a  distance  of  some  hundred  yards, 
a  dozen  coyotes,  or  prairie-wolves,  were  feasting  on  a 
lump  of  something  which  proved  to  be  the  remains  of  my 
deer.  When  I  dispersed  these  cowardly  gluttons,  I  found 
that  a  handful  of  hair  was  all  that  was  left  of  it. 

The  prairie  wolf  is  an  animal  of  wonderful  sagacity. 
It  will  follow  hunters  all  day,  at  less  than  a  hundred 
yards'  distance,  stopping  when  they  stop,  sitting  down 
quietly  when  game  is  killed,  rushing  to  devour  the  offal 
when  the  hunter  retires.  If  a  deer  or  antelope  is  wounded, 
the  wolves  immediately  pursue  it  and  sometimes  pull  the 
animal  down  in  time  for  the  hunter  to  come  up  and  rescue 
it  from  their  ravenous  clutches.  One  day  I  killed  a  buck 
which  was  so  poor  that  I  left  the  carcass  on  the  ground, 
as  unworthy  of  the  trouble  of  cutting  up.  Six  small 
prairie-wolves  had  attended  my  excursion  that  day,  and 
before  I  had  left  the  deer  twenty  paces,  they  had  com- 
menced the  work  of  destruction.  About  fifteen  minutes 


20          PRAIRIE  WOLF  AND  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  SHEEP. 

afterwards,  I  looked  back,  and  saw  the  same  wolves  fol- 
lowing me.  Thinking  it  scarcely  possible  that  they  had 
devoured  the  whole  deer  in  so  short  a  space  of  time,  I  re- 
turned, an  I  was  astonished  at  finding  nothing  but  a  pile 
of  bones  and  hair.  A  short  time  afterwards,  I  killed  a 
black-tailed  deer,  and  it  was  also  in  a  wretched  condition, 
I  merely  took  the  fleeces,  (or  the  meat  from  the  back  and 
ribs,)  and  left  the  rest  of  the  animal  untouched.  I  then 
walked  away,  and  sitting  down  quietly  on  a  rock,  watched 
the  operation  of  the  wolves.  They  hurried  to  the  deer 
as  if  famished,  and  commenced  tugging,  snarling,  biting, 
and  swallowing,  seemingly  at  the  same  time.  At  the 
end  of  five  minutes,  they  withdrew,  and  nothing  remained 
on  the  ground  but  a  well-picked  skeleton.  During  the 
day,,  they  swallowed  three  entire  deer.  The  voracity  of 
these  animals  was  always  astonishing  to  me — for  I  could 
not  help  wondering  where  they  stowed  all  they  ate.  The 
coyote  is  not  as  bold  and  fierce  as  the  large  gray  wolf, 
and  man  has  little  reason  to  dread  a  flock  of  them.  I 
frequently  chased  them  from  my  camp,  with  no  weapon 
but  my  ramrod. 

My  favorite  game,  in  an  epicurean  point  of  view,  was  the 
Rocky  Mountain  sheep,  called  by  the  Mexicans,  the 
carnero  cimaron.  This  animal  partakes  of  the  nature  of 
both  the  deer  and  the  goat,  resembling  the  latter  in  its 
habits  and  fondness  of  lofty  crags  of  the  mountains, 


PRAIRIE  WOLF  AND  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  SHEEP.         21 

whence  it  seldom  descends  to  the  valleys.  Its  color  is  a 
brownish  dun,  with  a  whitish  streak  on  its  hind  quarters 
the  tail  being  tipped  with  black.  The  horns  of  the  male 
are  enormous,  curved  backward,  and  often  three  feet  in 
length,  with  a  circumference  of  twenty  inches  near  the 
head.  The  cimaron  makes  tremendous  leaps  down  preci- 
pices, invariably  alighting  on  its  horns.  Their  senses  are 
very  acute,  and  sentinels  are  always  on  the  watch,  so 
that  it  is  difficult  to  get  within  rifle-shot  of  them.  I  had 
read  of  the  chamois  hunts  in  the  Alps ;  but  I  did  not 
believe  that  the  chase  of  that  swift  animal  was  attended 
with  a  great  deal  more  danger  and  excitement  than 
hunting  the  cimaron. 

One  day,  I  got  within  rifle-shot  of  a  cimaron,  in  a 
rather  singular  way.  I  was  leaning  against  a  steep  rock, 
a  considerable  distance  up  the  mountain,  and  enjoying  a 
smoke.  Happening  to  scent  a  peculiar  odor,  I  looked  up 
and  was  surprised  to  perceive  four  cimarons  not  far  above 
me.  I  noiselessly  grasped  my  rifle;  but  the  motion, 
slight  as  it  was,  was  sufficient  to  alarm  the  animals,  and 
with  a  loud  bleat  they  dashed  up  the  mountain  at  so  rapid 
a  rate  that  all  attempts  to  get  a  good  shot  were  vain. 
When,  however,  they  reached  a  little  plateau  about  a 
hundred  and  fifty  yards  from  where  I  stood,  they  sud- 
denly stopped,  and  approaching  the  edge,  looked  down 
at  me.  As  soon  as  I  saw  them  stop,  I  lifted  up  my  rifle. 


22          PKAIRIE  WOLF  AND  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  SHEEP. 

took  aim  at  the  side  of  the  cimaron  nearest  me,  and  fired. 
The  animal  jumped  from  the  rock,  and  made  an  effort 
to  follow  its  flying  companions ;  but  its  strength  failed, 
and  after  some  convulsive  struggle,  sit  fell  over  the  rock, 
down  almost  to  my  feet,  and  laid  dead.  It  was  a  young 
and  fat  cimaron,  and  that  evening,  when  I  camped,  ac- 
cording to  custom,  under  shelter  of  the  rocks,  I  made  a 
glorious  meal  of  the  juicy  flesh. 

Hunting  the  cimaron  was  to  me  the  most  arduous  as 
well  as  the  most  exciting  of  sports.  Many  a  day  I  fol- 
lowed a  flock  of  these  animals  without  killing  a  single 
one.  They  led  me  over  paths,  where  a  slight  slip  of  the 
foot,  would  have  sent  me  to  destruction.  I  learned  to 
leap  with  them  from  crag  to  crag,  and  to  jump  down  pre- 
cipices which  at  other  times  I  would  have  cautiously 
avoided.  One  day  I  wounded  a  young  sheep,  which  I 
determined  to  keep  and  train  as  a  companion.  It  was  a 
brisk  little  animal,  and  as  soon  as  its  wound  had  partly 
healed,  its  gambols  about  my  camp  became  a  source  of 
genuine  pleasure  to  me.  These  animals  are  quite  intelli- 
gent, and  quick  to  attach  themselves  to  human  beings. 
My  young  cimaron  soon  learned  to  come  at  my  call,  and 
when  I  stretched  myself  by  the  fire  to  sleep,  to  huddle 
beside  me.  Many  a  wolf  lurked  near,  in  extreme  hunger 
for  a  taste  of  Fondle's  sweet  flesh,  but  they  kept  clear 
of  my  protecting  arm. 


PRAIRIE  WOLF  AND  ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  SHEEP.          23 

One  night,  a  famished  pack  of  coyotes  made  an  attack 
on  my  little  camp  in  a  desperate  attempt  to  get  hold  of 
my  pet.  In  an  instant  I  was  on  my  feet,  and  as  Fondle 
set  up  a  piteous  bleating,  blazed  away  at  the  wolves,  and 
stretched  four  of  them  dead.  The  rest  fled  with  some 
thing  like  the  speed  of  the  wind. 

The  wolves  occasionally  displayed  astonishing  audacity. 
They  came  within  twenty  feet  of  my  fire,  and  I  had  much 
difficulty  in  preventing  them  from  gnawing  away  the 
leather  ropes  by  which  my  mules  were  tethered  One 
night,  they  succeeded ;  but  luckily  I  awoke  just  p.bout 
the  time  that  my  mules  felt  their  liberty,  and  dispersing 
the  wolves  by  a  shot,  I  once  more  secured  iny 
near  the  fire,  and  stretched  myself  to  repose. 


. 


CHAPTER  III. 
A  COMRADE  AND  FRESH  SPORTS. 

ON  A  bright  day  in  July>  I  was  sitting  near  the  foot  of 
the  Pass  mentioned  at  the  commencement  of  this  narra- 
tive, when  an  unexpected  sight  greeted  my  eyes.  Com- 
ing leisurely  along  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains  were 
three  mules,  two  of  which  were  laden  with  packs,  while 
upon  the  other  rode  a  hunter,  who,  on  a  near  approach,  I 
recognised  to  be  an  old  acquaintance  of  my  father's,  called 
Joe  Blaney.  He  did  not  immediately  recognise  me ;  but 
with  his  rifle  thrown  over  his  arm,  ready  for  emergency, 
he  rode  up. 

"Wagh,  no!"  he  exclaimed.  "Young  Peregrine,  or 
I  an't  Joe  Blaney,  now,"  and  he  quickly  dismounted  and 
gave  me  his  hand.  After  the  customary  salutations  of 
the  rough  and  ready  hunters,  I  inquired. 

"Where  from,  Joe?" 

"  New  Mexican  country^ — Santa  Fe,  and  there  abouts ; 
been  up  the  Yellow  Stone.  Blackfeet  thicker  than  beaver 
(24) 


A  COMRADE  AND  FRESH  SPORTS.  25 

up  there,  Peregrine.  Must  go  the  buffalo,  bear,  deer,  and 
sheep,  instead,  now,  boy.  Buffalo  thick  on  the  plains." 

"  Let's  join,  Joe.  I'm  getting  a  little  tired  of  the  moun- 
tains, and  like  yourself  have  been  driven  away  from  the 
Yellow  Stone  beaver.  Let  us  camp  to  night,  and  in  the 
morning  strike  across  the  prairies,"  said  I,  and  my  ser- 
vices were  immediately  given  to  aid  Joe  in  preparing  to 
encamp. 

He  had  three  fine  young  mules ;  his  traps  were  in  the 
best  order,  and  he  had  abundance  of  ammunition.  The 
hunter  was  about  forty  years  of  age.  His  face  was  sharp 
and  gaunt.  His  head  was  always  bent  forward,  giving 
him  the  appearance  of  being  hump-backed ;  but  in  stature 
he  was  rather  above  the  ordinary  height.  His  twinkling 
eyes  seemed  to  look  on  all  sides  of  him  at  once,  so  restless 
were  they.  His  voice  was  at  all  times  loud,  sharp,  and 
ringing.  His  costume  was  very  much  like  my  own,  but 
rather  the  worse  for  wear.  It  consisted  of  an  old  felt 
hat,  hunting-shirt,  and  leggings  of  leather, — shining  with 
grease — mocassins,  and  heavy  Mexican  spurs.  In  the 
shoulder-belt  which  sustained  his  bullet-pouch  and, powder- 
horn,  were  fastened  an  awl,  with  deer-horn  handle,  a  worm 
for  cleaning  his  rifle,  a  squat-looking  bullet  mould,  and  a 
little  bottle,  made  from  antelope  horn,  which  contained 
the  "  medicine,"  used  in  baiting  the  beaver-traps.  His 
rifle  looked  like  one  of  the  best  quality — and  although  I 

3 


26  A  COMRADE  AND  FRESH  SPORTS. 

had  a  strong  arm,  I  doubted  my  ability  to  hold  that 
shooting-iron  long  presented. 

We  had  a  pleasant  camp  that  night.  Joe  gave  me  a 
great  deal  of  information  in  regard  to  the  condition  of 
things  at  the  trading-posts,  and  in  New  Mexico,  told 
stories  of  his  recent  hunting  expeditions,  and  showed  him- 
self a  cheerful  and  entertaining  companion.  When  I  ex- 
pressed my  perplexity  in  regard  to  the  disposal  of  Fondle, 
during  our  hunting  expeditions  on  the  prairies,  Joe  in- 
formed me  that  the  proprietor  of  "Brown's  Hole"  sta- 
tion would  pay  a  good  price  for  a  tame  cimaron,  and  I 
then  determined  to  go  to  the  trouble  of  taking  care  of  the 
animal  until  I  went  to  that  rendezvous.  The  next  day 
we  crossed  the  mountains,  and  at  night  encamped  at  the 
edge  of  the  prairies,  near  the  head  waters  of  the  Colorado. 
Morning  had  scarcely  streaked  the  east,  when  we  were 
abroad  in  the  prairie.  Fondle  was  tied  to  the  girth  of  my 
pack  mule,  Flygrass  who  evidently  felt  very  uneasy  at  the 
proximity  of  the  cimaron,  but  travelled  along  very  well, 
every  thing  considered.  Within  an  hour  we  were  far 
enough  advanced  on  the  prairie  to  expect  to  see  many 
buffaloes ;  but  we  saw  only  a  few,  and  they  did  not  look 
in  a  very  good  condition.  They  were  bulls  ;  and,  as  is 
well  known,  buffalo  bull  meat  is  very  rank  and  tough, 
from  June  to  September.  We  knew,  however,  that 
these  animals  were  the  sentinels  of  a  herd  of  cows. 


A  COMRADE  AND  FRESH  SPORTS.  27 

and  as  th'ey  fled,  we  followed,  first  tethering  our  pack 
mules. 

On  reaching  the  summit  of  a  low  bluff,  we  caught 
sight  of  a  herd  of  buffaloes,  quietly  cropping  the  grass, 
almost  within  rifle-shot.  I  judged  there  were  about  five 
hundred  large  fat  cows  in  the  herd.  They  discovered  us 
almost  as  soon  as  we  reached  the  top  of  the  bluff,  a'hd 
scampered  off  with  a  rumbling  noise  that  seemed  to  make 
the  ground  tremble.  Each  of  us  singled  out  a  fat  ani- 
mal, which  we  endeavored  to  separate  from  the  rest.  Joe 
succeeded  in  accomplishing  this  very  soon.  But  I  had 
a  long  chase  and  a  dangerous  struggle,  before  I  could 
drive  my  cow  from  the  herd.  There  is  but  one  spot  where 
a  buffalo  may  be  mortally  wounded  at  the  first  shot.  This 
vulnerable  place  is  a  few  inches  above  the  brisket,  be- 
hind the  shoulder.  I  took  a  cautious  aim  and  fired.  The 
buffalo  was  immediately  brought  to  a  stand,  and  I  con- 
cluded that  the  shot  was  a  clean  one,  and  that,  as  the 
hunters  have  it,  I  had  "  thrown  it  in  its  tracks."  After 
the  mortal  wound  is  given,  it  is  a  great  point  to  keep  in 
the  rear  of  the  fierce  beast,  as,  unless  it  sees  its  enemy, 
it  will  remain  still.  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  keep  from 
its  view,  and  while  reloading  could  observe  its  efforts  to 
remain  upright.  It  braced  itself  on  its  legs,  swayed  from 
side  to  side,  and  stamped  impatiently  as  it  felt  a  grow- 
ing weakness.  It  planted  its  limbs  farther  apart,  but  to 


28  A  COMRADE  AND  FRESH  SPORTS. 

no  purpose.  As  the  body  rolled,  its  head  turned  slowlj 
from  side  to  side,  as  if  seeking  for  its  foe.  Gradually 
the  failing  limbs  refused  to  support  the  ponderous  car- 
cass. Suddenly,  a  convulsive  tremor  seized  it,  and,  with 
a  fierce  gasp,  the  mighty  beast  fell  upon  the  plain,  stark 
and  stiff. 

In  the  meantime,  Joe  had  more  difficulty  in  securing 
his  prize.  The  first  shot  had  failed  to  reach  the  vitals, 
and  the  buffalo  turned  fiercely  upon  the  hunter,  who  im- 
mediately put  spurs  to  his  mule,  reloading  his  rifle  as  he 
fled.  When  a  short  distance  from  the  herd,  the  buffalo 
stopped  and  seemed  disposed  to  return  to  his  companions. 
Joe  immediately  checked  his  mule,  turned,  and,  as  after- 
wards ascertained,  shot  the  buffalo  through  the  heart. 
Yet — such  is  the  extraordinary  tenacity  of  life  in  these 
animals— that  this  mortally  wounded  cow  chased  Joe 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  before  it  fell  in  the  agonies  of 
death. 

Regardless  of  the  remainder  of  the  herd,  we  now  turned 
our  attention  to  securing  the  valuable  portions  of  the  ani- 
mals we  had  killed.  Mine  was  a  splendid  prize.  The 
depouille,  or  fleeces, — the  meat  of  the  back  and  ribs — • 
showed  about  four  inches  of  solid  fat.  This,  with  the 
short  and  delicious  hump-rib  and  tender  loin,  the  "  bou- 
dins,"  the  medullary  intestine,  and  the  tongue,  being 
secured  and  wrapped  in  the  hide,  the  carcass  was  left  to 


A  COMRADE  AND  FRESH  SPORTS.  29 

the  wolves,  which  were  not  very  long  in  taking  the  burden 
from  the  prairie.  Joe's  cow  was  not  as  fat  as  the  one  I 
killed ;  but  still,  it  was  a  fine  animal. 

We  had  a  delicious  meal  upon  the  prairie  that,  day. 
Strangers  to  such  a  mode  of  life  would  have  been  asto- 
nished at  the  quantity  of  food  we  put  beneath  our  belts 
The  hunters  are  generally  immense  eaters,  owing  to  the 
severity  of  their  exercise  and  the  bracing  climate  of  the 
mountains  and  plains.  Joe  Blaney  and  myself  were  no 
exceptions.  When  we  had  concluded  our  meal,  our  sup- 
ply of  meat  was  just  about  sufficient  for  another  feast  and 
no  more.  Not  a  particle  of  the  delicious  "boudins," 
was  left. 

Soon  after  the  meal,  we  packed  up  and  set  out  to  find 
a  good  camping  ground  for  the  night.  The  scenery  of 
the  prairie  over  which  we  were  travelling  was  rather 
monotonous.  Occasionally  we  came  upon  a  small  stream, 
muddied  by  the  buffaloes,  the  banks  being  somewhat  ele- 
vated. But  trees  were  scarce.  '  In  the  course  of  our 
march,  we  shot  a  black-tailed  deer,  and  two  more  buffa- 
loes, which  considerably  enlarged  our  prospects  of  a  suc- 
cessful expedition.  Near  an  inconsiderable  stream  that 
emptied  into  the  Colorado,  we  came  upon  a  small  party 
of  Crow  Indians.  They  were  hideously  daubed  with  the 
war-paint.  I  knew  their  chief,  Little  Robber,  and  in 
consequence,  the  meeting  was  not  attended  with  any  un- 

3* 


80  A  COMRADE  AND  FRESH  SPORTS. 

pleasant  circumstances.  The  chief  informed  us  that  he 
was  reconnoitring,  as  the  Crows  contemplated  an  expedi- 
tion against  the  Sioux.  We  gave  him  what  information 
we  could,  of  the  condition  of  the  neighboring  tribes,  and 
then  passed  on.  Shortly  before  dark,  we  reached  a  well- 
wooded  bottom,  through  which  flowed  a  tolerably  clear 
stream,  called  the  Little  Sandy,  tributary  to  the  Colorado, 
and  there  we  made  our  camp,  fully  satisfied  with  our 
day's  success. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

CAMP  ON  THE  LITTLE  SANDY.    BUFFALO  I!," 
ABUNDANCE. 

As  we  resolved  to  form  a  permanent  camp  on  the 
banks  of  the  Little  Sandy,  some  description  of  the  river 
and  the  surrounding  country  may  be  necessary.  The 
stream  was  about  forty  feet  wide,  but  only  two  or  three 
deep,  with  a  swift  current,  running  over  a  sandy  bed.  It 
was  timbered  with  a  growth  of  low,  bushy  willows,  among 
which  were  verdant  patches,  aifording  fine  pasture  for  the 
mules.  Up  the  stream,  at  a  considerable  distance  from 
our  camp,  were  some  hills  of  granite,  presenting  a  bare 
aspect,  while  the  rest  of  the  country,  as  far  as  could  be 
seen  in  front,  -and  in  the  rear  to  the  base  of  the  moun- 
tains, was  undulated  and  diversified  with  an  alternation 
of  grassy  and  sandy  levels. 

Our  camp  was  formed  beneath  the  shade  of  the  largest 

(31) 


32         THE  LITTLE  SANDY — BUFFALO  IN  ABUNDANCE. 

willows  upon  the  sloping  bank.  We  cleared  a  space 
about  twenty-five  feet  square,  and  around  its  sides— ex- 
cept that  of  the  stream — planted  a  stout  picketing — of 
the  strongest  willow  branches  we  could  find.  At  each 
end  farthest  from  the  stream,  we  constructed  a  rude  shed, 
and  made  couches  of  our  packs.  The  fire  was  kindled  in 
the  centre  of  the  camp.  It  was  agreed  that  our  mules 
and  Fondle  should  be  brought  within  the  pickets  at  night, 
so  that  they  might  be  more  easily  defended  against  the 
savages  and  wolves. 

It  was  late,  and  the  moon  was  high  in  the  sky  that 
night  before  the  camp  was  completed ;  so  tired  were  we, 
that  the  sun  was  high  above  the  prairie  next  morning, 
before  we  opened  our  eyes.  Joe  was  up  and  moving 
about  for  some  time  before  I  awoke.  His  iron  frame  could 
bear  the  brunt  of  many  a  day's  severe  toil.  He  wanted 
but  little  rest,  and  was  so  constituted  that  he  could  take 
that  any  where.  Hardy  as  I  was,  I  could  not  have 
attempted  to  compete  with  this  veteran  hunter. 

Our  breakfast  was  quickly  dispatched ;  for  we  saw 
plenty  of  buffalo  not  far  from  camp,  and  we  were  "  eager 
for  the  fray."  This  day  we  resolved  to  try  our  skill  at 
what  is  called  "  still  hunting" — approaching  the  buffalo 
on  foot.  The  head  of  this  animal  is  so  thickly  hung  with 
long,  shaggy  hair,  that  it  is  almost  precluded  from  seeing 
an  object  directly  in  its  front ;  and  if  the  wind  be  against 


THE  LITTLE  SANDY — BUFFALO  IN  ABUNDANCE.         33 

the  hunter,  he  can  approach  with  caution,  a  buffalo  feed 
ing  on  a  prairie  as  level  as  a  floor.     Its  sense  of  smell, 
however,  is  so  acute,  that  when  the  hunter  is  to  wind- 
ward, half  a  mile  distant,  it  will  be  seen  to  snuff  the  air 
and  satisfy  itself  of  danger. 

"We  separated  and  approached  a  small  band  of  buffaloes, 
about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  camp,  and  on  the  same 
side  of  the  stream.  I  crept  up  the  bottom  as  far  as  I 
wished  to  go,  while  Joe  struck  out  on  the  prairie,  some- 
times crawling  along  the  ground,  and  then  running 
swiftly,  but  lightly,  as  the  heads  of  the  buffaloes  were 
turned  from  him.  I  contrived  to  get  within  pistol-shot 
of  the  small  herd,  and  then  almost  lying  flat  on  the 
ground,  took  a  steady  aim,  banged  away,  and  almost 
immediately  saw  a  fat  cow  totter.  About  the  same  time, 
Joe,  who  had  approached  near  enough  to  touch  the  buf- 
falo with  his  rifle-barrel,  shot  her  dead.  The  rest  of  the 
herd  scampered  away  without  turning  to  look  at  us.  The 
animal  shot  by  me  soon  fell  upon  its  side,  and  was  dead. 
Then  came  the  work  of  butchery,  and  carrying  meat  and 
hides  to  camp — where  Joe  remained  to  prepare  a  secure 
meat-shed,  and  make  preparations  for  preserving  some 
of  the  best  portions  of  the  buffalo,  while  I  set  out  for 
new  game. 

This  time  I  went  about  a  mile  from  camp  before  I  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  within  rifle-shot  of  a  buffalo.  Two  or 


34        THE  LITTLE  SANDY — BUFFALO  IN  ABUNDANCE. 

three  times  the  animals  scented  my  proximity  in  season 
to  escape ;  but  at  length,  I  struck  a  cow  in  the  shoulder. 
The  wound  enraged  her  and  she  turned  quickly  to  catch 
sight  of  her  foe.  I  had  much  trouble  in  dodging  around 
to  keep  in  her  rear,  and  reloading  my  rifle  Being  once 
more  prepared,  I  blazed  away,  and  this  time  made  a  better 
shot,  doubtless  hitting  in  the  lungs.  Still,  the  animal 
maintained  her  feet,  and  turning  suddenly  around  so  as 
to  front  me,  made  a  rapid  charge,  so  that  it  was  with  ex- 
treme exertion  that  I  kept  clear  of  her  threatening  horns. 
At  length  she  checked  herself,  feeling  her  weakness,  and 
I  coolly  gave  her  the  coup  de  grace. 

One  more  buffalo,  a  black-tailed  deer,  and  an  elk,  were 
the  reward  of  this  day's  hunt.  The  elk  I  shot  as  it  was 
standing  under  the  willows,  on  the  banks  of  the  Little 
Sandy,  whither  it  had  come  to  drink  and  to  escape  from 
the  annoyance  of  the  flies.  In  point  of  size,  this  animal 
ranks  next  to  the  buffalo.  It  is  found  in  all  parts  of  the 
mountains,  and  descends  not  imfrequently  far  down  into 
the  plains,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  larger  streams.  A  full 
grown  elk  is  as  large  as  a  mule,  with  rather  a  heavy  neck 
and  body,  and  stout  limbs,  its  feet  leaving  a  track  as 
large  as  that  of  a  two-year  old  steer.  They  are  dull, 
sluggish  animals,  at  least  in  comparison  with  others  of 
the  deer  tribe,  and  are  easily  approached  and  killed.  In 
winter  they  congregate  in  large  herds,  often  numbering 


THE  LITTLE  SANDY — BUFFALO  IN  ABUNDANCE.        35 

several  hundreds ;  and  at  that  season  are  fond  of  tra- 
velling, their  tracks  through  the  snow  having  the  appear- 
ance of  a  broad  beaten  road.  The  elk  requires  less  kill- 
ing than  any  other  of  the  deer  tribe,  (whose  tenacity  of 
life  is  remarkable ;)  a  shot  any  where  in  the  fore  part  of 
the  animal  brings  it  to  the  ground.  A  deer,  on  the  con- 
trary, often  runs  a  considerable  distance,  strike  it  where 
you  will.  The  meat  of  the  elk  is  strong-flavored,  and 
more  like  "poor  bull"  than  venison;  it  is  only  eatable 
when  the  animal  is  fat  and  in  good  condition  ;  at  other 
times  it  is  strong-tasted  and  stringy. 

Joe  and  I  shook  hands  on  our  prospects  that  evening, 
and  lived,  if  not  like  princes,  as  deliciously  as  moun- 
taineers care  to  live.  We  retired  to  repose  at  an  early 
hour,  with  full  stomachs  and  happy  hearts,  which  pro- 
mised a  good  night's  rest.  Suddenly,  we  heard  a  noise 
like  distant  thunder,  but  somewhat  more  steady.  The 
noise  gradually  increased,  and  drew  near  camp.  Placing 
our  ears  close  to  the  ground,  we  could  distinguish  the 
roaring  tramp  of  buffaloes  upon  the  plain ;  and  as  the 
moon  came  from  behind  a  cloud,  I  saw  the  prairie  was 
covered  by  a  dark  mass  which  undulated  like  the  waves 
of  the  sea.  We  were  in  a  perilous  situation,  for  when 
thousands  of  these  animals  are  pouring  over  the  plain,  it 
is  almost  impossible  to  change  their  course,  particularly, 
at  night,  the  myriads  in  the  rear,  pushing  on  those  in 


36        THE  LITTLE  SANDY — BUFFALO  IN  ABUNDANCE. 

front.  Even  if  we  were  not  crushed  by  the  immense  tor- 
rent of  animal  life,  our  beasts  would  be  borne  away.  We 
shouted  and  fired  our  rifles,  and  happily  succeeded  in 
keeping  the  herd  upon  one  side  of  our  camp.  Still,  as 
the  buffaloes  rushed  into  the  stream,  and  thundered  past 
us,  some  of  them  grazed  our  pickets,  and  greatly  fright- 
ened the  mules.  We  had  splendid  opportunities  for  kill- 
ing the  game,  but  we  were  too  glad  of  our  escape  to  at- 
tempt to  bring  a  buffalo  to  the  ground.  I  have  seen 
many  wonders  of  nature,  but  nothing  comparable  in  gran- 
deur to  the  thundering  march  of  such  a  herd  of  buffaloes 
upon  the  prairies. 

The  danger  being  over,  we  quieted  our  animals,  and 
once  more  stretched  ourselves  to  repose.  Fondle  was  so 
much  alarmed  that  I  had  to  take  the  pet  to  my  side,  and 
hug  it  as  if  it  had  been  a  child,  to  quell  its  fright. 


CHAPTER  V. 
MR.  PALLISER  AND  HIS  FRIENDS.    CAMP  STORIES. 

ONE  evening  after  we  had  actually  wearied  ourselves 
in  slaughtering  buffaloes,  we  sat  by  our  camp-fire,  pre- 
paring a  meal,  for  which  we  had  a  huge  appetite.  We 
were  in  excellent  spirits,  and  in  spite  of  our  fatigue,  were 
disposed  to  "  eat,  drink,  and  be  merry."  At  such  a  time, 
Joe  Blaney  usually  let  off  his  extra  good  feeling  in  long 
stories  of  his  mountain  and  prairie  experience,  and  he  was 
just  beginning  one  that  was  never  known  to  have  a  ter- 
mination, when  I  descried  a  small  party  coming  across 
the  prairie,  in  the  direction  of  our  camp.  The  first  idea 
was  that  they  were  Indians,  and  our  rifles  were  quickly 
prepared  for  action.  But  Joe's  keen  eye  soon  settled  the 
matter,  by  making  the  strangers  out  to  be  white  hunters, 
and  followed  by  pack-mules.  In  a  few  minutes  they  were 
near  enough  for  us  to  see  that  the  men  were  four  in  num- 
ber. Their  mules  were  heavily  burdened  with  skins  and 

4  (37) 


38  ME.  PALLISER.  AND  HIS  FRIENDS. 

provisions,  and  did  not  seem  to  be  in  sound  condition. 
"We  waited  with  patience  till  the  party  came  to  the  oppo- 
site bank  of  the  stream,  when  a  salute  was  exchanged. 

"  How  are  you  friends  ?"  said  the  leader  of  the  horse- 
men, a  tall,  noble-looking  man,  handsomely  dressed  in 
hunting  costume.  "  This  seems  to  be  a  good  camping- 
ground.  Have  you  any  objections  to  our  stopping  along- 
side for  the  night  ? 

"  Of  course  not,"  I  replied.  "  In  fact  we  are  rathei 
glad  that  you  -propose  to  do  so,  because  the  Arapahoes 
are  lurking  among  the  mountains.  Besides,  the  more 
the  merrier,  this  night,  for  we  have  heaped  up  the  buffalo 
to-day." 

"Very  well,"  said  the  hunter  who  had  accosted  «s 
"  We  will  cross  a  short  distance  above,  picket  our  animals 
where  that  bit  of  green  is,  and  visit  your  camp.  Come, 
Bill !"  The  two  last  words  were  addressed  to  a  huntei 
at  his  side. 

The  party  crossed  the  stream,  dismounted,  tethered 
their  animals,  carried  their  large  packs  within  our  picket- 
ing, where,  when  piled  up,  they  helped  to  form  a  breast- 
work, and  then  brought  a  quantity  of  rare  meat,  biscuit, 
and  brandy,  to  extend  the  supper  for  the,  whole  party. 
In  the  meantime,  however,  the  hunter  alluded  to  as  Bill, 
was  left  as  a  guard  among  the  animals,  a  short  distance 
up  the  stream. 


MR.  PALLISER'S  STORY.  39 

As  soon  as  we  were  comfortably  seated  around  the  fire, 
the  leader  of  the  party  introduced  himself  as  a  Mr.  John 
Palliser,  an  English  gentleman,  who  had  traversed  the 
prairies  to  see  their  variety  of  scenery,  and  enjoy  their 
splendid  sports.  His  companions  were  citizens  of  the 
western  states,  who  accompanied  him  in  the  expedition. 
Two  of  them  I  recognised  as  experienced  hunters  and 
trappers  on  the  Missouri.  Mr.  Palliser  .expressed  him- 
self delighted  with  the  exciting  nature  of  life  on  the 
plains.  He  was  a  lively,  talkative  companion,  and  while 
we  were  discussing  the  meal,  he  told  us,  in  an  animated 
style,  phases  of  his  short  experience  in  prairie  sport. 

"  Of  course,  said  he,  "  such  adventures  as  those  with 
which  I  have  met  are.  trifles  to  such  veteran  hunters  as 
yourselves.  But  some  of  them  have  been  just  about  as 
thrilling  and  perilous  as  I  wish  to  undergo.  My  first 
dashes  at  buffalo  hunting  were  made  near  Fort  Union, 
on  the  Missouri.  It  was  about  Christmas  time. 

"  I  started  off  one  day  by  myself  after  a  large  herd  of 
buffalo,  about  three  miles  westward  of  the  fort,  adopting 
the  novel  expedient  of  carrying  with  me  a  white  blanket 
in  order  to  stalk  them.  I  took  such  a  course  as  not  to  give 
the  herd  my  wind,  and  with  the  cover  afforded  by  the 
point,  succeeded  in  getting  within  a  couple  of  hundred  yards 
of  them.  I  crept  forward  on  my  hands  and  knees,  covered 
by  the  blanket,  which  prevented  them  from  distinguishing 


40  MR.  PALLISER'S  STORY.  fc 

me  amidst  the  surrounding  snow,  and  enabled  me  to  ap- 
proach until  I  came  within  shot.  I  continued  creeping 
around  them,  singling  out  the  best  and  the  fattest  of  the 
cows  for  upwards  of  an  hour,  arid  it  was  not  until  I  had 
laid  five  of  their  number  low  that  they  smelt  a  rat,  and 
bolted  off  unanimiously,  shaking  their  shaggy  heads  and 
ploughing  up  the  snow. 

"  In  two  days  all  the  fresh  meat  I  had  brought  in  that 
evening  was  gone,  and  the  buffaloes  were  four  or  five  miles 
off;  taking  my  friend,  the  little  gray,  I  stole  out  with 
him  unperceived,  and  had  a  splendid  run,  flooring  a  cow, 
and  wounding  a  bull,  which  I  left  for  the  present,  and 
stretching  away  at  full  speed,  I  pursued  after  another 
uncommonly  fine  fat  cow.  She  gave  me  an  awful  chase, 
turning  and  doubling  immediately.  My  little  horse  was 
sorely  at  a  disadvantage  in  the  snow,  and  began  to  show 
symptoms  of  distress ;  but  I  could  not  manage  to  get  a 
broadside  shot.  At  last  making  one  more  push,  I  got 
pretty  close  behind  her,  and  raising  myself  in  my  stir- 
rups, fired  down  upon  her.  The  effect  was  grand.  She 
dropped  down  at  the  report,  the  bullet  breaking  her 
spine.  My  little  horse  unable  to  stop  himself  rolled 
right  over  her,  making  a  complete  sommerset,  and  send- 
ing me,  gun  and  all,  flying  clean  over  both  of  them  into 
a  snow  drift.  I  leaped  up,  ran  back  to  my  horse,  which 
I  caught  without  onuch  difficulty,  and  was  glad  to  find  no 


*  MR.  PALLISER'S  STORY.  41 

more  hurt  than  myself.  My  gun  was  filled  with  snow  of 
course,  but  otherwise  uninjured.  I  certainly  was  in  luck 
that  day,  for  the  guard  of  the  horses  at  the  fort  joined 
me  soon  afterwards ;  he  had  seen  the  buffalo,  running, 
and  came  to  my  assistance  to  secure  and  pack  the  meat, 
so  that  I  was  enabled  to  get  home  and  put  my  gallant 
little  gray  quietly  into  his  stable  again. 

"  You  came  off  lucky  in  that  throw,"  said  Joe. 
"  'Twartn't  much.  If  you  hunt  the  buffalo  you  must  ex- 
pect many  a  tumble,  and  you  can  bless  yourself  if  you 
keep  your  neck  straight.  Old  Bill  Muggin — that  once 
hunted  hereaway,  was  tumbled  on  his  head,  and  he  never 
troubled  himself  to  get  up  again,  no  way.  But  have  you 
done  any  thing  in  the  mountains,  Mister  ? — there's  hunt- 
ing for  a  genuine  sportsman — Running  after  the  big  horn 
cimaron — and  the  grizzlies — that's  sport. 

"  I  can  boast  of  having  hunted  successfully  among  the 
mountains,"  replied  Mr.  Palliser.  "And  I  have  seen 
that  famous  monster — the  grizzly  bear.  I  was  hunting 
far  away  up  the  Missouri,  in  company  with  a  Frenchman, 
named  Boucharville,  a  lively  comrade  and  a  successful 
hunter.  One  morning  we  left  our  camp  for  a  hunt  among 
the  mountains. 

"  Pursuing  a  westerly  direction  on  leaving  the  camp, 
we  made  for  a  more  rocky  part  of  the  range  where  the 
frowning,  overhanging  cliffs  gave  a  promise  of  big  horn 

4* 


42  MR.  PALLISER'S  STORY. 

on  our  way.  As  we  went  along  I  got  a  shot  at  an  antelope 
(for  which  I  dismounted  expressly)  and  the  animal  in- 
stantly dropped,  whereupon  I  remounted,  and,  not  stopping 
to  load,  rode  up  to  the  spot,  and  found  him  a  fine  old  male 
with  large  full-grown  horns.  Boucharville  now  came  up 
congratulating  me  upon  my  having  got  such  a  fine  speci- 
men for  my  collection,  and  as  I  sat  quietly  upon  my  horse 
discussing  the  length  of  the  shot,  he  dismounted,  and  drew 
his  knife,  for  the  purpose  of  skinning  the  apparently  life- 
less animal,  hut  before  doing  so  began  to  sharpen  it  upon 
his  steel,  which  hung  at  the  belt  of  his  hunting-frock  ; 
when,  to  our  amazement,  the  antelope,  after  one  or 
two  convulsive  struggles,  jumped  up  and  bounded  off  safe 
and  sound,  turning  about  when  a  couple  of  hundred  yards 
off  to  look  back  at  us,  as  if  in  ridicule,  and  again  darting 
away  bade  us  a  final  adieu.  As  soon  as  we  recovered 
from  our  surprise  we  both  burst  out  laughing.  I  dis- 
mounted and  loaded,  and  we  went  on  to  the  cliffs  close 
by.  "We  rode  for  some  distance  upon  the  base,  but  see- 
ing no  sheep  crossed  the  ridge,  leading  the  horses  after 
us  up  the  ascent,  and  over  rocks  and  places  over  which 
the  poor  animals  could  hardly  scramble,  accomplishing 
this  with  great  difficulty.  We  had  hardly  commenced  our 
descent  on  the  other  side  when  Boucharville's  quick  eye 
perceived  under  the  cliffs,  about  three  hundred  feet  below, 
a  doe-elk,  feeding  in  a  glade,  surrounded  with  thickets  of 


MR.  PALLISER'S  STORY.  43 

fruit  trees  and  rose-bushes.  With  his  usual  deliberation 
he  drew  out  and  stuck  crosswise  in  the  ground  his  ramrod 
and  loading  stick  for  a  rest,  and  a  deliberate  shot  brought 
the  elk  down  on  her  tracks.  The  spot  from  which 
he  had  fired  was  so  steep  that  we  were  obliged  to  turn 
back  and  take  a  more  circuitous  course  to  reach  her. 
Boucharville,  who  had  not  loaded,  went  at  that  moment 
to  a  stream,  about  thirty  paces  from  where  the  wapiti  lay, 
saying,  "  Je  vais  laver  ma  carabine;"  and  I  leaving  my 
horse  to  graze,  having  taken  off  his  bridle  and  unrolled 
his  halter,  was  busy,  knife  in  hand,  removing  the  elk's 
skin,  when  Boucharville,  who  by  this  time  had  his  rifle 
barrel  in  the  stream,  and  was  sponging  away  very  dili- 
gently, suddenly  shouted,  "  Un  ours !  un  ours !"  and  at 
the  same  instant  a  she  grizzly  bear  emerged  from  a  cherry 
thicket  charging  right  at  him.  Boucharville,  dropping 
his  rifle  barrel,  sprang  back  into  a  clump  of  rose-bushes, 
when  the  bear,  losing  sight  of  him,  stood  on  her  hind 
legs,  and  I  then  saw  she  had  a  cub  of  a  good  size  with 
her.  I  at  first  ran  to  assist  my  companion  ;  but  seeing 
him  safe  and  the  bear  at  fault,  I  rushed  back  to  the  horse 
to  secure  him,  fearing  that  were  he  to  smell  the  bear,  he 
would  soon  speed  his  way  over  the  prairies,  and  be  lost 
to  me  for  ever.  Seeing  me  run,  the  bear  instantly  charged 
after  me ;  and  when,  having  reached  the  horse,  and  rolled 
the  halter  a  couple  of  times  round  my  arm,  I  turned  about 


14  MR.  PALLISER'S  STORY. 

to  face  her,  she  rose  on  her  hind  legs.  I  did  not  like, 
however,  to  venture  so  long  a  shot,  as  I  had  only  a  single 
barrelled  rifle  in  my  hand,  and  paused  a  moment ;  when 
she  altered  her  intention,  turned  aside,  and  followed  the 
direction  taken  by  her  cub.  I  then  caught  a  glimpse  of 
her,  as  she  ran  to  the  left,  and  fired  through  the  bushes, 
but  only  hit  her  far  back  in  the  flank,  on  which  she  im- 
mediately checked  her  onward  course,  and  wheeling  round 
and  round,  snapped  at  her  side,  tearing  at  the  wound  with 
her  teeth  and  claws,  and,  fortunately  for  me,  afforded  me 
sufficient  time  to  enable  me  to  load  again ;  my  ball  was 
hardly  down,  when  a  shout  from  Boucharville  warned  me 
that  the  fight  was  only  commencing.  "  Gardez-vouz, 
gardez-vouz,  Monsieur;  elle  fonce  encore,"  and  on  she 
furiously  rushed  at  me.  I  had  barely  time  to  put  on  my 
copper  cap,  and  as  she  rose  on  her  hind  legs,  I  fired,  and 
eent  my  bullet  through  her  heart.  She  doubled  up,  and 
rolled  from  the  top  to  the  bottom  of  the  slope,  where  she 
expired  with  a  choking  growl.  Boucharville  now  joined 
me,  but  we  did  not  venture  to  approach  the  enemy  until 
I  had  loaded,  and  we  ascertained  that  she  was  safe  dead, 
by  pelting  sticks  and  stumps  at  the  carcass.  All  this 
time  my  noble  horse  stood  as  firm  as  a  rock ;  had  he 
reared  or  shied,  I  should  have  been  in  a  serious  scrape. 

I  was  greatly  rejoiced  at  my  good  fortune.     She  proved 
a  fine  old  bear,  measuring  seven  and  a  half  feet  long.  We 


MR.  PALLIRER'S  STORY.  45 

immediately  set-to  and  skinnod  her,  preserving  the  claws. 
I  then  brought  up  the  horse,  and  laid  the  skin  upon  his 
back;  he,  strange  to  say,  offering  no  resistance,  nor 
evincing  the  slightest  fear  or  objection  to  carry  it." 

"  That's  a  very  unusual  thing,"  said  I,  "for  horses  in 
general  are  terrified  at  the  sight  of  a  bear,  and  I  never 
saw  one  that  would  allow  a  bear-skin  to  be  thrown  over 
his  back. 

"  And  I  have  never  seen  but  one,"  rejoined  Mr.  Pal- 
liser.  "  The  horse  is  a  noble  animal.  You  may  see  him 
out  there  among  the  rest.  Mons.  Boucharville,  who 
accompanied  me  in  that  expedition,  was  one  of  those 
quiet,  patient,  but  indomitable  men,  who  usually  triumph 

over  all  difficulties. 

« 

"  I  knew  him  well,"  said  Joe ;  "  he  used  to  be  in  the 
service  of  the  American  Fur  Company.  A  good  trapper 
he  was  when  I  saw  him  up  the  Yellow  Stone." 

"A  consummate  hunter,  too,"  added  Mr.  Palliser. 
"  We  were  at  one  time  hunting  on  the  Missouri,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Yellow  Stone.  Boucharville  had  been 
hunting  one  morning,  and  had  returned  to  camp  without 
having  had  a  single  shot.  We  then  resolved  to  take  the 
two  best  horses,  and  ride  three  or  four  miles  along  the 
prairie  to  a  favorite  point. 

"  This  was  a  very  fine  wood,  about  nine  miles  long,  and 
from  four  to  five  deep,  interspersed  with  lovely  glades, 


46  MR.  PALLISER'S  STORY. 

and  beautiful  feeding-grass  for  deer  and  elk.  We  con- 
tinued riding  alternately  through  these  and  thick  willows 
till,  on  emerging  from  a  copse  of  the  latter,  we  came  in 
Bight  of  a  band  of  some  fifteen  or  twenty  wapiti,  feeding 
in  a  large  glade.  We  immediately  fastened  up  the  horses, 
and  crept  noiselessly  on  foot  under  cover  of  the  brush- 
wood towards  the  spot.  Arrived  at  the  utmost  verge  of 
our  friendly  shelter,  we  had  the  mortification  to  find  that 
we  were  too  far  to -risk  a  shot,  there  being  fully  two  hun- 
dred and  thirty  yards  between  us  and  them.  We  held  a 
council  of  war,  and  after  some  hesitation,  determined  to 
steal  back  to  the  horses,  ride  some  way  round,  and  came 
upon  them  from  a  direction  at  right  angles  to  the  one  we 
had  just  tried,  where  we  could  see  a  clump  of  rose-bushes, 
which  we  fancied  considerably  nearer  to  the  elk,  and  which 
we  intended  to  try  and  reach  by  approaching  from  an 
easterly  instead  of  a  northerly  direction,  we  being  then  be- 
tween them  and  a  river.  Accordingly  we  crept  back  on 
our  hands  and  knees ;  nor  did  we  get  up  and  run  towards 
the  horses  until  we  were  well  out  of  sight  of  the  wapiti. 
We  then  mounted  and  rode  half  a  mile  or  so  round  to  the 
east,  when  having  again  tied  up  the  horses,  we  crawled 
as  before  upon  our  hands  and  knees,  and  reached  the  ex- 
tremity of  the  rose-bushes  unperceived.  Here  there  was 
a  large  tree,  behind  which  I  could  stand  up  quite  screened 
from  view  of  the  elk,  while  Boucharville  knelt  on  one 


47 

knee  at  the  edge  of  the  cover,  a  position  in  which  he  could 
shoot  very  well,  for  he  used  to  make  a  rest  for  his  rifle, 
by  sticking  his  ramrod  and  loading-stick  firmly  into  the 
ground  across  each  other ;  I,  who  never  could  shoot  well 
from  a  rest,  preferred  to  stand  up.  We  were  now  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  from  the  nearest  of  the  band. 
I  chose  a  fine  old  stag,  while  Boucharville,  with  an  eye 
to  superior  meat,  singled  out  a  doe.  We  drew  up  our 
rifles  slowly,  and  both  shots  went  off  together.  The  smoke 
hung  heavily  for  a  second  or  two ;  when  it  cleared  away, 
we  espied  one  of  the  wapiti  lying  down.  The  next  in- 
stant down  rolled  the  stag  also.  We  agreed  to  advance 
at  the  same  moment  lest  one  or  other  of  the  animals 
should  be  able  to  get  up  and  escape.  On  coming  near 
my  stag,  he  struggled  to  rise,  but  unable  to  gain  his  feet 
rolled  back  again.  I  looked  towards  the  other,  when 
what  was  my  surprise  at  witnessing  a  regular  combat  be- 
tween Boucharville  and  his  wounded  elk,  now  transformed 
into  a  very  formidable  antagonist.  Springing  on  her 
haunches,  she  was  striking  furiously  at  him  with  her 
fore^feet ;  one  hoof  missed  him,  but  the  other  fell  on  his 
rifle,  which  he  held  up  for  his  protection,  and  smashing 
both  his  ramrod  and  his  loading-stick,  beating  him  down 
on  his  knees.  Rising  a  second  time,  she  was  about  to 
repeat  the  attack,  when  my  bullet  caught  her  in  the  side 
of  the  head  behind  the  eye,  and  with  a  splendid  bound 


48  MR.  PALLISER'S  STORY. 

she  fell  lifeless  on  the  broad  of  her  back.  I  had  made  a 
quick  and  necessarily  a  rather  dangerous  shot,  but  I  was 
in  luck  that  day.  *  Sacre  enfant  du  diable  !  '  exclaimed 
Boucharville,  as  he  half  rose  from  the  ground,  but  looking 
at  nothing  till  he  had  satisfied  himself  that  his  rifle  was 
uninjured;  'mais  qui  1'aurait  eru?  May  foil'  conti- 
nued he,  laughing,  *  j'ai  bien  echappe,  une  biche  a  un 
cote  et  une  balle  a  1'autre  !' ' 

The  meal  being  concluded,  the  guard  was  changed,  and 
Bill  received  his  share.  Mr.  Palliser  then  produced  some 
aqua  vitse,  which  the  mountaineers  prize  so  highly  and 
often  abuse  themselves  with  deplorably.  This  served  to 
give  new  liveliness  to  the  conversation.  The  fire  was 
heaped  up  anew.  Pipes  and  tobacco  were  distributed,  and 
then  as  the  clouds  of  smoke  wreathed  above  us,  we  were 
again  entertained  by  our  English  friend. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
BAITING  FOR  AN  ALLIGATOR. 

"1  REMEMBER,"  said  Mr.  Pallister,  "an  adventure 
that  occurred  in  the  Arkansas  country,  near  Lake  Jeffer- 
son. I  was  stopping  at  the  house  of  a  man  named  Jack- 
son. One  day,  while  I  was  seated  with  him  and  his  fa- 
mily, a  little  negro  boy  came  into  the  room,  shouting, 
*  Oh,  massa !  terrible  big  alligator ;  him  run  at  me/ 
When  we  got  him  to  speak  a  little  more  coherently  it 
appeared  that  he  had  been  bathing  in  the  lake,  and  that 
an  alligator  had  suddenly  rushed  at  him,  and  when  the 
boy,  who  luckily  was  not  in  deep  water,  had  escaped  by 
running  to  land,  the  brute  had  actually  pursued  him  along 
the  shore.  We  instantly  started  off  in  quest  of  the 
monster,  accompanied  by  the  boy,  who  came  as  guide. 
After  carefully  exploring  the  bank  and  reeds,  though  un- 
succesafully,  we  concealed  ourselves  in  hopes  of  seeing 

5  (49) 


50  BAITING  FOR  AN  ALLIGATOR. 

him  rise  to  the  top  of  the  water  when  he  thought  the 
coast  was  clear ;  but,  as  we  waited  a  long  time  without 
any  result,  we  proposed  what  certainly  was  a  most  nefa- 
rious project,  namely,  to  make  the  boy  strip  off  his  clothes 
and  start  him  into  the  water  again  as  a  bait  for  the  alli- 
gator. It  was  some  time  before  we  could  get  the  boy  to 
come  round  to  our  view  of  the  matter :  his  objections  to 
our  plan  were  very  strong,  and  his  master's  threats  failed' 
completely,  as  indeed  they  generally  did,  for  he  was  the 
kindest  hearted  man  in  the  world  to  his  negroes.  At  last 
I  coaxed  him  with  a  bright  new  dollar.  This  inducement 
prevailed  over  his  fears,  and  the  poor  boy  began  to  un- 
dress, his  eyes  all  the  while  reverting  alternately  from 
the  water  to  the  dollar,  and  from  the  dollar  to  the  water. 
We  told  him  we  did  not  want  him  to  go  in  so  deep  as  to 
be  obliged  to  swim.  l  By  golly,  then,  me  go  for  dollare ;' 
and  in  he  walked,  but  had  hardly  reached  water  higher 
than  his  knees,  when  crash  went  the  reeds,  and  the  little 
fellow  cut  in  towards  our  place  of  concealment  at  an  as- 
tonishing pace,  pursued  by  the  alligator.  The  savage 
beast,  as  before,  came  right  out  on  the  bank,  where  we 
nailed  him  with  two  capital  shots  through  the  head  that 
effectually  checked  his  career.  He  struggled  violently, 
but  uselessly,  to  regain  his  congenial  element,  and  after 
two  or  three  furious  lashes  of  his  ponderous  tail,  sullenly 
expired.  The  triumph  of  the  boy  was  complete ;  had  he, 


BAITING  FOE  AN  ALLIGATOR.  51 

like  another  infant  Hercules,  strangled  the  alligator  with 
his  own  hands,  he  could  not  have  been  more  delighted ; 
he  yelled  out,  *  Me  so  bery  glad,'  tumbled  head  over  heels, 
walked  on  his  hands,  and  exhibited  every  symptom  of 
negro  joy." 

We  all  laughed  heartily  at  this  idea  of  baiting  an  alli- 
gator with  a  negro  boy,  and  Joe  was  so  tickled  that  it 
was  some  time  before  he  could  compose  himself  to  listen 
to  another  story. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

MR.  PALLISER  CONTINUES  HIS  ADVENTURES. 

SHORT  as  had  been  Mr.  Palliser's  experience  upon  the 
prairies,  he  seemed  to  have  met  with  many  stirring  adven- 
tures, and  he  certainly  narrated  them  with  an  ease  and 
spirit  that  I  have  seldom  found  equalled.  While  he  was 
willing  to  talk,  we  were  well  content  to  listen. 

"  One  clear,  cold  morning,  in  January,"  continues  Mr. 
Palliser,  "  I  started  out  to  shoot  some  prairie  fowl.  These 
birds  were  too  wild  to  shoot  with  shot,  so  I  took  my  single 
barrelled  rifle,  and  shot  them  off  the  branches  of  the  high 
trees  where  they  used  to  sit  sunning  themselves,  taking 
the  lowest  first,  that  his  fall  might  not  alarm  his  compa- 
nions. I  had  not  long  been  at  this  sport  when  an  Indian 
overtook  me,  and  said  in  Sioux,  '  Ho,  my  friend,  (how 
coonah,)  I  saw  the  track  of  your  long  foot  in  the  snow. 
He  wanted  me  to  help  him  in  stalking  up  three  buffalo 
bulls  that  were  feeding  in  some  willows  at  a  little  dis- 
'52) 


A  BUFFALO  HUNT.  53 

tance.  I  accordingly  started  off  with  him,  and  when  we 
came  within  about  a  third  of  a  mile  of  the  spot,  I  went 
carefully  round  to  leeward,  and  directed  the  Indian  to 
go  and  give  them  his  wind  by  approaching  on  the  other 
side,  as  soon  as  he  thought  I  had  reached  my  intended  post, 
whither  I  knew  they  would  make  in  order  to  pass  through 
to  the  open  plain.  So  accurately  had  the  Indian  calcu- 
lated time  and  distance,  that  I  was  hardly  at  my  place 
when  a  huge  bull  thundered  head-long  by  me,  and  received 
a  shot  low  and  close  behind  the  shoulder  as  he  passed. 
He  stumbled  on  for  about  ten  paces,  and  lay  quietly  down. 
I  waited  to  reload,  and  on  going  up  found  him  stone  dead. 
The  Indian  then  joined  me,  and  said  that  the  other  two 
bulls  had  not  gone  far,  but  had  taken  different  directions, 
so  that  we  agreed  that  he  should  pursue  one  and  I  the 
other. 

"  I  soon  came  in  sight  of  mine.  He  was  standing  a 
little  way  off  on  the  open  plain,  but  the  skirting  willows 
and  brushwood  afforded  me  cover  within  eighty  yards  of 
him,  profiting  by  which  I  crept  up,  and  taking  a  delibe- 
rate aim,  fired.  The  bull  gave  a  convulsive  start,  moved 
off  a  little  way,  and  turned  his  broadside  again  to  me.  I 
fire  again,  over  a  hundred  yards  this  time ;  he  did  not 
stir.  I  loaded  and  fired  the  third  time,  whereupon  he 
turned  and  faced  me,  as  if  about  to  show  fight.  As  I 
was  loading  for  a  fourth  shot  he  tottered  forward  a  step 

5* 


54  TOSSED  BY  A  BUFFALO. 

or  two,  and  I  though!;  he  was  about  to  fall,  so  I  waited 
for  a  little  while,  but  as  he  did  not  come  down  I  deter- 
mined to  go  up  and  finish  him.  Walking  up,  therefore, 
to  within  thirty  paces  of  him,  till  I  could  actually  see  his 
rolling  eyes,  I  fired  for  the  fourth  time  directly  at  the 
region  of  the  heart,  as  I  thought,  but  to  my  utter  amaze- 
ment up  went  his  tail  and  down  went  his  head,  and  with 
a  speed  I  thought  him  little  capable  of,  he  was  upon  me 
in  a  twinkling.  I  ran  hard  for  it,  but  he  rapidly  over- 
hauled me,  and  my  situation  was  becoming  any  thing  but 
pleasant.  Thinking  he  might,  like  our  own  bulls,  shut 
the  eyes  in  making  a  charge,  I  swerved  suddenly  to  one 
side  to  escape  the  shock,  but  to  my  horror,  I  failed  in 
dodging  him,  for  he  bolted  round  quicker  than  I  did,  and 
afforded  me  barely  time  to  protect  my  stomach  with  the 
stock  of  my  rifle,  and  to  turn  myself  sideways  as  I  sus- 
tained the  charge,  in  the  hope  of  getting  between  his 
horns,  he  came  plump  upon  me  with  a  shock  like  an 
earthquake.  My  rifle-stock  was  shivered  to  pieces  by  one 
horn,  my  clothes  torn  by  the  other ;  I  flew  into  mid-air, 
scattering  my  prairie  hens  and  rabbits,  which  had  hitherto 
hung  dangling  by  leathern  thongs  from  my  belt,  in  all 
directions,  till,  at  last,  I  fell  unhurt  in  the  snow,  and 
almost  over  me — fortunately  not  quite— rolled  my  infu- 
riated antagonist,  and  subsided  in  a  snow-drift.  I  was 
luckily  not  the  least  injured,  the  force  of  the  blow  having 


THE  WOLF-DOG.  55 

been  perfectly  deadened  by  the  enormous  mass  of  fur, 
/ 

wool,  and  hair  that  clothed  his  shaggy  head-piece. 

"  It  requires  a  bold  man  to  stand  up  against  such  a 
charge  as  that,"  said  Joe,  looking  doubtfully  into  the  face 
of  Mr.  Palliser.  "  I  tried  it  myself  once,  but  the  close 
approach  of  the  bull's  horns  so  flurried  my  nerves,  that  1 
just  made  a  clean  jump  over  them  on  to  the  back  of  the 
beast,  and  so  gained  time  to  put  in  a  stretching  shot." 

"  I  own  to  a  considerable  shiver,  as  the  bull  approached 
me,"  said  Mr.  Palliser,  "  but  the  number  of  his  wounds 
gave  me  a  little  confidence  that  by  activity  I  could  escape 
the  assault.  I  can  say  without  boasting  that  I  do  not 
easily  lose  either  hope  or  presence  of  mind.  Since  I  have 
been  out  on  these  plains,  I  have  been  placed  in  situations 
calculated  at  the  very  least  to  make  a  man  think  seri- 
ously of  his  last  hour.  Last  winter  I  was  on  my  way  to 
Fort  Mackenzie,  travelling  alone.  All  my  hunting  effects 
were  placed  on  a  travail,  to  which  was  harnessed  a  large 
animal — half  wolf  and  half  dog — called  Ishmah.  He  was 
a  faithful  servant. 

"  Ishmah's  relationship  to  the  wolf  family  was  often 
productive  of  much  inconvenience  to  me,  as  he  used  to 
run  off  and  engage  in  play  with  the  young  wolves,  chasing 
and  being  chased  by  them  in  turn.  At  first  I  was 
amused  at  this  indication  of  his  wild  origin,  but  subse- 
quently much  annoyed,  and  on  one  occasion  seriously 


56  THE  WOLF-DOG'S  THICKS. 

alarmed  at  the  result  of  these  gambols.  One  day,  after 
a  long  march,  I  was  looking  out  for  a  convenient  camping- 
place,  when  a  she-wolf  crossed  the  ice  at  some  distance 
from  where  I  was  standing.  In  spite  of  all  my  exertions 
and  threats,  Ishmah  immediately  gave  chase  and  they  con- 
tinued their  gambols,  until  I  attempted  to  approach  them, 
when,  of  course,  the  wolf  made  off  at  full  speed  followed 
by  my  dog  with  his  travail  behind  him,  loaded  with  every 
thing  I  then  possessed  in  the  world.  I  followed,  shouting 
after  him  in  vain,  until  he  entirely  disappeared  from  my 
view,  after  which  I  continued  running  on  the  tracks,  till 
darkness  obliged  me  to  abandon  the  pursuit,  and  I  found 
myself  a  long  way  from  timber,  out  on  the  broad  prairie, 
alone  on  a  vast  barren  waste  of  snow  stretching  around 
me  on  every  side.  It  was  some  hours  before  he  returned, 
when,  happily,  I  found  not  an  article  was  lost. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

BREAKING  UP  OF  THE  PRAIRIE  CAMP.    RETURN  TO 
THE  MOUNTAINS.     ANTELOPE.     CARCAGIEU. 

MR.  PALLISER  and  his  friends  had  been  such  excellent 
company,  that,  when  the  morning  of  their  departure  came, 
a  feeling  of  genuine  regret  came  over  me.  But  we  hunters 
had  been  accustomed  to  many  such  meetings  and  tran- 
sient friendships ;  and,  after  all,  this  world  is  but  a  halt- 
ing place  for  humanity.  We  come,  make  friends,  per- 
haps enemies,  and  depart  into  an  unknown  eternitr 
Shortly  after  a  hearty  breakfast,  we  bade  our  friends  fare- 
well, wished  them  many  a  successful  hunt,  and  saw  them 
slowly  ride  away  over  the  prairie. 

Joe  and  I  now  held  a  council  to  decide  upon  our  future 
course.  We  had  secured  an  abundance  of  provision,  and 
our  packs  were  of  a  satisfactory  size.  Yet  it  was  rather 
too  early  to  visit  a  station,  and  we  were  still  well  pro- 
vided for  hunting  in  the  mountains,  or  trapping  beaver. 

(57) 


58  BREAKING  UP  OF  THE  CAMP. 

After  some  deliberation,  we  decided  to  make  a  season  of 
it — to  return  to  the  mountains,  proceed  northward  upor 
the  range,  and  to  look  out,  at  least,  for  trapping 
opportunities. 

One  whole  day  was  occupied  in  breaking  up  camp^ 
mending  and  cleaning  various  articles,  and  stowing  oin 
valuables  into  the  smallest  space.  The  next  morning; 
at  the  first  peep  of  day,  we  struck  for  the  mountains, 
and  at  noon  reached  the  foot  of  the  range,  near  the  Big 
Sandy,  a  tributary  of  the  Colorado,  and  within  full  vie^ 
of  the  remarkable  isolated  hills,  called  the  Two  Buttes. 
Shortly  afterwards  we  encamped  on  the  banks  of  the 
stream,  and  while  Joe  remained  to  secure  the  animals  and 
attend  to  other  necessities  of  the  camp,  I  set  off  for  a 
short  hunt,  on  foot. 

After  an  oblique  ascent  of  about  two  miles,  over  ground 
sometimes  sandy  and  sometimes  rocky,  I  came  upon  a 
large  grove  of  pines,  on  the  other  side  of  which  I  caught 
sight  of  a  large  herd  of  prong-horned  antelopes.  Creep- 
ing noiselessly  through  the  grove,  I  got  within  rifle-shot, 
and  just  as  the  beautiful  creatures  snuffed  danger,  I  blazed 
away,  killing  one  and  sending  another  away  with  a  limp. 

The  antelope,  the  smallest  of  the  deer  tribe,  affords 
the  hunter  sweet  and  nutritious  meat,  when  that  of  nearly 
every  other  description  of  game,  from  the  poorness  and 
scarcity  of  the  grass  during  the  winter,  is  barely  eatabK 


THE  ANTELOPE.  59 

They  are  seldom  seen  now  in  very  large  bands  on  the 
grand  prairies,  having  been  driven  from  the  old  pastures 
bj  the  Indians  and  white  hunters.  The  former,  by  means 
of "  surrounds,"  an  inclosed  space,  formed  in  one  of  the 
passes  used  by  these  animals,  very  often  drive  into  the 
toils  an  entire  band  of  antelopes  of  several  hundreds,  when 
not  one  escapes  slaughter. 

I  have  said  that  the  antelope  is  a  beautiful  animal. 
The  following  descriptions,  by  Dr.  Richardson,  is  perfectly 
accurate  : — "  The  male  is  furnished  with  short,  black, 
roundish,  tapering  horns,  arched  inwards,  turning  towards 
each  other,  with  their  points  directed  backwards,  each 
horn  having  a  single  short  branchlet  projecting  from  the 
middle.  The  winter  coat  consists  of  coarse,  round,  hollow 
hairs,  like  those  of  the  moose.  The  neck,  back,  and  legs 
are  yellowish  brown ;  the  sides  are  reddish  white ;  the 
belly  and  chest  are  white,  with  three  white  bands  across 
the  throat.  The  hairs  on  the  occiput  and  back  of  the 
neck  are  long  and  tipped  with  black,  forming  a  short, 
erect  mane.  There  is  a  black  spot  behind  each  cheek, 
which  exhales  a  strong  goat-like  odour.  The  tail  is  short ; 
on  the  rump  there  is  a  large  spot  of  pure  white.  The 
dimensions  of  the  animal  were  as  follows  : — from  the  nose 
to  the  root  of  the  tail,  four  feet ;  height  of  the  fore 
shoulders,  three  feet ;  that  of  the  hind  quarter,  the.  same. 
Girth,  behind  the  fore  legs,  three  feet ;  girth,  before  the 


60  THE  ANTELOPE. 

fore  legs,  two  feet  ten  inches.  The  female  is  smaller  than 
the  male,  having  horns,  with  rather  a  protuberance  than 
a  prong.  She  is  also  deficient  in  the  black  of  the  neck." 
The  Indians,  particularly  the  Shoshonees,  have  a  re- 
markable mode  of  hunting  these  animals  on  the  plains, 
which  is  well  described  by  Lewis  and  Clark  : — "  The  chief 
game  of  the  Shoshonees  is  the  antelope,  which,  when  pur- 
sued, retreats  to  the  open  plains,  where  the  horses  have 
full  room  for  the  chase.  But  such  is  its  extraordinary 
fleetness  and  wind,  that  a  single  horse  has  no  possible 
chance  of  outrunning  it,  or  tiring  it  down;  and  the 
hunters  are  therefore  obliged  to  resort  to  stratagem. 
About  twenty  Indians,  mounted  on  fine  horses,  armed 
with  bows  and  arrows,  left  the  camp ;  in  a  short  time  they 
descried  a  herd  of  ten  antelopes  ;  they  immediately  sepa- 
rated into  squads  of  two  or  three,  and  formed  a  scattered 
circle  round  the  herd,  for  five  or  six  miles,  keeping  at  a 
wary  distance,  so  as  not  to  alarm  them,  till  they  were 
perfectly  inclosed,  and  usually  selecting  some  command- 
ing eminence  as  a  stand.  Having  gained  their  positions, 
a  small  party  rode  toward  the  herd,  and  with  wonderful 
dexterity  the  huntsman  preserved  his  seat,  and  the  horse 
his  footing,  as  he  ran  at  full  speed  over  the  hills  and 
down  the  steep  ravines,  and  along  the  borders  of  the  pre- 
cipices. They  were  soon  outstripped  by  the  antelopes, 
which,  on  gaining  the  other  extremity  of  the  circle,  were 


THE  CARCAGIEU.  61 

driven  back  and  pursued  by  the  fresh  hunters.  They 
turned  and  flew,  rather  than  ran,  in  another  direction ; 
but  there  too  they  found  new  enemies.  In  this  way  they 
were  alternately  pursued,  backwards  and  forwards,  till  at 
length,  notwithstanding  the  skill  of  the  hunters,  (who 
were  merely  armed  with  bows  and  arrows,)  they  all 
escaped ;  and  the  party,  after  running  for  two  hours, 
returned  without  having  caught  any  thing,  and  their 
horses  foaming  with  sweat.  This  chase,  the  greater  part 
of  which  was  seen  from  the  camp,  formed  a  beautiful 
scene,  but  to  the  hunters  is  exceedingly  laborious,  and  so 
unproductive,  even  when  they  are  able  to  worry  the  ani- 
mal down  and  shoot  him,  that  forty  or  fifty  hunters  will 
sometimes  be  engaged  for  more  than  half  a  day,  without 
obtaining  more  than  two  or  three  antelopes." 

As  the  herd  bounded  away  from  me,  with  unapproach- 
able speed,  the  wounded  one,  lagged  behind,  and  I  was 
about  to  give  chase,  when  one  of  those  fierce  animals, 
known  by  the  hunters  as  the  cargagieu,  and  believed  by 
many  of  them  to  bear  a  "  charmed  life,"  sprang  from  a 
rock  upon  the  antelope's  back,  bore  it  to  the  ground,  and 
before  I  could  raise  my  rifle  to  a  fair  aim,  sprung  away 
up  the  rocks  again,  bearing  the  prey  in  its  teeth. 

Most  of  the  hunters  give  the  cargagieu  a  wide  berth. 
It  is  a  species  of  glutton,  of  a  dark  color,  and  possessing 
astonishing  courage,  activity,  strength,  and  ferocity. 

6 


02  RETURNS  TO  CAMP. 

"When  pressed  by  hunger,  it  will  not  hesitate  to  attack  a 
man ;  and  so  sudden  and  furious  are  its  assaults,  that 
they  are  almost  always  successful.  Even  that  fierce 
•  monster,  the  grizzly  bear,  is  less  dreaded  than  the  car- 
gagieu.  I  felt  exceedingly  glad  that  the  antelope  had 
stood  in  my  place,  when  this  savage  of  the  mountains 
chose  his  victim.  The  skin  of  these  animals  are  esteemed 
by  the  Indians,  as  "great  medicine,"  and  will  fetch  al- 
most any  price ;  while,  if  a  hunter  kills  one,  he  boasts  of 
it  as  a  brilliant  exploit,  sufficient  of  itself  to  establish  his 
reputation. 

Shouldering  my  antelope,  which  I  remarked  was  in  ex- 
cellent condition,  I  returned  to  camp.  In  the  meantime, 
Joe  had  been  led  away  by  the  sight  of  a  black-tailed  deer, 
which  he  killed,  but  found  in  such  poor  condition,  that  he 
merely  took  the  fleece,  and  left  the  remainder  to  the 
wolves.  We  made  a  good  meal  and  retired  to  repose  on 
our  packs,  about  an  hour  after  dark.  We  were  both  anx- 
ious to  get  as  much  sleep  as  possible,  as  we  knew  that 
when  we  got  into  the  beaver  region,  one  of  us  would 
always  be  on  guard  at  night,  to  give  the  alarm  on  the 
Approach  of  Indians. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

MORNING  AMONG  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS.  EN 
COUNTER  WITH  SHOSHONEES.  A  GRIZZLY  BEAR 
FIGHT  AND  TERRIBLE  RESULT. 

NOWHERE  have  I  enjoyed  the  beauty  of  morning  as  much 
as  among  the  Rocky  Mountains.  At  sunrise  on  the  day 
after  the  last  hunt,  the  air  was  clear  and  pure,  and,  though 
the  summer  was  at  its  height,  bracing  cool.  The  caps  of 
the  mountains,  which  arose  loftily  on  two  sides  of  our 
encampment,  were  covered  with  shelving  snow,  while  the 
valley  .of  the  river  was  glowing  and  bright.  Here  and 
there  a  rushing  stream  upon  the  mountain  glimmered  in 
the  rays  of  the  sun,  while  the  pines  upon  its  borders 
stood  in  contrast,  dark  and  stern. 

After  a  hearty  breakfast,  we  resumed  our  journey. 
The  road  was  delightful.  During  the  morning  we  crossed 
many  streams,  clear  and  rocky,  and  some  grassy  valleys, 

flowers,  of  various  kinds,  brilliantly  decked   the 

(63) 


64  THE  SHOSHONEE  INDIANS. 

green.  Among,  the  shrubs,  the  most  common  was  the 
artemisia,  or  wild  sage,  which  greets  the  traveller's  eyes 
even  upon  the  sandy  plains  west  of  the  mountains,  remind- 
ing him,  amid  the  trials  of  the  desert,  of  the  beauties  of 
earth. 

About  noon  we  came  upon  a  party  of  Shoshonees,  or 
Snake  Indians,  numbering  about  thirty,  including  the 
Bquaws.  The  latter  were  engaged  in  digging  the  root 
called  yampah,  in  the  low  timbered  bottom  of  a  creek. 
Among  the  Indians,  along  the  Rocky  Mountains,  this  root 
is  considered  the  best  of  food ;  while  in  the  United  States 
and  in  Europe,  the  seeds  are  used  to  flavor  soup.  Far- 
ther on  in  our  route,  there  was  a  stream,  tributary  to  the 
great  Colorado,  along  the  banks  of  which  this  root  is  so 
abundant,  that  the  Indians  have  given  it  the  name  of  the 
Yampah  river,  although  the  trappers  call  it  the  Little 
Snake.  There  we  arrived  in  the  middle  of  the  afternoon, 
and  found  a  large  party  of  Shoshonees  encamped  near 
the  stream,  while  the  squaws  were  engaged  in  digging  the 
root.  The  chiefs  were  well  acquainted  with  both  of  us, 
and  had  repeatedly  solicited  us  to  take  some  of  their 
squaws  for  wives,  as  a  decisive  sign  of  our  alliance ;  but 
these  offers  we  had  both  declined,  as  the  Shoshonee  wo- 
jnen  were  disgusting  in  appearance  and  habits.  We  en- 
camped near  the  party,  made  them  some  trifling  presents, 
and  were  as  intimate  as  if  we  were  members  of  the  tribe 


THE  SHOSHONEE  INDIANS.  65 

The  Shoshonees,  or  Snakes,  are  supposed  to  be  the 
most  numerous  tribe  of  Indians  in  existence.  The  Ca- 
manches  of  the  plains  are  a  branch  of  this  nation ;  and 
although  many  hundreds  of  miles  now  divdde  their  hunt- 
ing-grounds, they  have  a  common  language,  and  there  is 
a  close  analogy  between  their  religious  rites  and  legen- 
dary tales.  The  Camanqhes  rule  supreme  on  the  eastern 
plains,  and  the  Shoshonees  are  the  dominant  power  in  the 
country  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  in  the  moun- 
tains themselves.  A  branch  of  the  latter  is  the  Tlamath 
Indians,  the  most  warlike  of  the  western  tribes ;  as,  also, 
are  the  Yutas,  who  may  be  said  to  connect  them  with  the 
Camanches. 

The  Shoshonee  chiefs  informed  us  that  beaver  was 
abundant  on  the  streams  of  the  Bayou  Salada,  or  Salt 
Valley,  and  at  the  boiling  Springs.  We  determined  to 
proceed  to  the  latter  place,  starting  the  next  morning. 
While  in  camp,  my  tame  cimaron,  Fondle,  excited  much 
interest  among  the  Shoshonee  squaws  and  children.  They 
never  seemed  to  grow  tired  of  playing  with  it,  and  towards 
night  I  was  compelled,  in  consideration  for  the  worried 
animal,  to  confine  it  to  our  camp.  The  Indians  insisted 
on  our  taking  full  share  of  their  hospitality  that  night, 
ard  to  please  them  we  ate  too  much  of  their  favorite  root, 
wlmA  affected  our  stomachs.  Before  we  laid  down  to  re- 
pose we  made  arrangements  for  the  perfect  security  of 

6* 


66  A  GRIZZLY  BEAR. 

our  animals  and  packs,  and  prepared  ourselves  for  a  de 
termined  resistance  to  any  thing  like  robbery.  We  were 
nat  molested,  however,  and  we  enjoyed  a  tolerable  rest. 

About  daybreak  we  were  aroused  by  a  loud  shout.  On 
inquiry,  we  learned  that  an  enormous  bear  had  been  dis- 
covered in  the  vicinity  of  the  camp,  and  that  it  had  car- 
ried off  a  dog  belonging  to  one  of  the  chiefs.  A  hunting 
party  was  immediately  organised,  under  our  direction.  It 
was  composed  of  twenty  of  the  best  hunters  among  tb<» 
Shoshonees,  and  the  command  was  given  to  Joe  Blaney 
The  track  was  boldly  marked,  and  easily  followed.  It 
led  us  along  the  bottoms,  and  then  up  the  mountains  a 
short  distance,  when  it  descended  a  broad  and  deep  ra- 
vine, where  the  bushes  grew  high  and  thick  enough  to 
afford  shelter  to  the  largest  animal  to  be  found  among  the 
mountains.  Here  Joe  commanded  a  halt,  while  he  ad- 
vanced .around  the  brink  of  the  ravine,  to  reconnoitre. 
But  he  could  see  no  trace  of  the  bear.  We  then  con- 
cluded to  descend  the  ravine  cautiously  in  two  parties, 
one  to  follow  the  bear's  trail,  under  Joe's  command,  and 
the  other  to  descend  from  the  opposite  side  of  the  ravine, 
under  my  lead. 

When  both  columns  were  "in  position,"  to  use  a  mili- 
tary phrase,  we  slowly  commenced  the  descent,  amid  the 
thick  and  gloomy  bushes.  Near  the  bottom  of  the  ravine, 
Joe  and  I  discovered  the  monster  almost  at  the  sama 


JOE'S  FIGHT  WITH  THE  BEAR.  67 

moment.  He  was  sitting  upright,  and  eating  berries 
from  a  bush.  We  fired  nearly  at  the  same  moment,  and 
both  balls  took  effect,  but  did  not  inflict  a  mortal  wound. 
The  monster  groaned  with  pain,  jumped  aside,  and  seeing 
Joe  before  him,  dashed  upon  him 

"Do  yourjbest,  men,"  shouted  ..he  gallant  hunter,  as  he 
stood  his  ground,  struck  the  bear  with  his  clubbed  rifle, 
and  discharged  his  pistol  into  the  animal's  body.  In  an 
instant,  the  pistol  was  knocked  from  his  hand,  and  he  was 
rolling  on  the  ground  in  desperate  conflict  with  the  fero- 
cious monster.  Most  of  the  Indians  ran  away.  Those 
who  remained  were  afraid  to  fire,  because  they  might  have 
hit  Joe  instead  of  the  bear.  With  tooth  and  claw,  the 
flesh  was  torn  from  the  hunter's  face  and  body,  while  he, 
clenching  his  knife,  stabbed  his  foe  many  times.  Watch- 
ing a  favorable  opportunity,  I  stepped  up  behind  the 
couple,  put  my  rifle  close  to  the  bear's  ear,  and  shot  him 
dead.  He  fell  over,  even  with  his  last  motion  sinking 
his  claws  deep  into  Joe's  lacerated  body. 

A  loud  shout  was  raised  by  the  Indian  hunters.  They 
had  done  positively  nothing ;  yet  they  made  the  most  noise 
in  the  triumph.  My  attention  was  entirely  engrossed  with 
poor  Joe.  He  was  horribly  disfigured,  and  fainted  from 
torture  and  loss  of  blood.  I  obtained  assistance,  rais*^ 
him  up,  and  strove  to  revive  him.  The  Indians  sfcok 
their  heads,  and  declared  that  he  was  dead.  However, 


*)8  JOB  LAID  ON  HIS  COUCH. 

they  assisted  me  to  carry  him  to  camp.  One  party  made 
a  sort  of  litter  on  which  they  placed  the  bear,  and  followed 
it  to  camp. 

Near  the  camp,  the  squaws  and  children  came  to  meet 
us,  and  seemed  extremely  anxious  to  celebrate  a  triumph 
in  their  savage  way.  But  a  sight  of  the  wounded  man 
put  a  damper  on  their  exulting  enthusiasm,  and  the  squaws, 
with  commendable  tenderness  of  feeling,  immediately  ran 
to  get  their  little  stocks  of  medicines.  One  of  the  chiefs 
tendered  me  the  use  of  his  lodge,  of  which  I  gladly  availed 
myself.  Joe  was  laid  on  a  soft  couch  of  skins,  and  while 
I  superintended,  some  of  the  squaws  washed  and  dressed 
his  wounds,  with  a  skill  and  delicacy  peculiar  to  these 
wild  daughters  of  the  mountains  and  plains. 

Before  the  gentle  surgeons  had  completed  their  labors, 
Joe  revived,  and  seeing  me  near  him,  tried  to  smile.  "  Not 
gone  under  yet,  Perey,  but  awful  sore,"  said  he,  and 
then,  after  a  pause,  during  which  he  writhed  in  pain,  he 
inquired,  "  Did  you  conquer  old  grizzly,  Perey  ?"  Upon 
learning  that  the  bear  had  been  killed,  and  was  in  camp, 
he  appeared  to  enjoy  much  satisfaction.  I  examined  his 
wounds  and  found  that  some  of  them  were  severe,  none 
were  dangerous.  A  few  weeks  under  the  treatment  of 
the  Shoshonee  squaws  would  make  all  sound  again.  After 
a  short  conference,  it  was  agreed,  that  Joe  should  remain 
with  the  Shoshonees,  until  perfectly  well,  and  that  his 


SHOSHONEE  NURSES.  6k 

mules  and  packs  should  remain  with  him ;  while  1  pushed 
forward  to  the  beaver  region,  and  tried  my  luck  at  trap- 
ping. This  arrangement  was  satisfactory  to  all  parties. 
My  stay  at  the  camp  could  do  Joe  no  good,  and  it  woula 
only  have  been  a  waste  of  time. 

The  Indian  women  were  exceedingly  kind  and  atten- 
tive to  the  wounded  hunter  ;  and  being  better  acquainted 
than  myself  with  the  healing  art,  could  cure  him  without 
my  aid.  The  only  difficulty  concerned  his  animals,  which 
I  feared  would  be  neglected,  and  perhaps  stolen.  I  spoke 
of  them  to  a  chief,  and  he  pledged  me  his  word  that  they 
should  be  as  well  taken  care  of  as  if  Joe  himself  was 
superintending  them. 


CHAPTER  X. 

FIRE  ON  THE  MOUNTAINS.     NARROW  ESCAPE. 
THE  BEAVER  REGION.    TRAPPING  BEAVER. 

ON  the  morning  after  the  fight  with  the  bear,  I  gave 
some  final  directions  in  regard  to  Joe  and  his  animals, 
and  once  more  started  forth  alone.  In  fording  the 
Yampah  river,  I  came  near  losing  my  cimaron.  I  had 
taken  it  on  the  mule  with  me,  and  not  being  used  to  such 
a  position,  it  struggled  and  broke  from  me,  and  fell  into 
deep  water.  With  some  difficulty  I  succeeded  in  grasping 
it  by  the  horns,  and  dragged  it  along  through  the  water, 
till  young  Oregon  ascended  the  opposite  bank  of  the 
stream,  when  it  was  once  more  permitted  to  run  by  the 
side  of  old  Flygrass.  The  old  mule  had  become  much 
attached  to  Fondle,  and  I  was  very  glad  for  her  sake,  as 
well  as  my  own,  that  the  pet  was  saved. 

I  travelled  all  the  morning  over  an  undulating  road, 
crossing  several  streams,  and  "  hugging"  the  base  of  the 
(70) 


FIRE  ON  THE  MOUNTAINS.  71 

mountain  range.  About  noon,  I  calculated  I  was  full 
fifteen  miles  from  the  Shoshonee  camp  and  my  suffering 
friend,  Joe.  I  then  fastened  my  animals  beneath  some 
shady  trees  on  the  banks  of  a  little  rivulet  that  sparkled 
over  a  sandy  bed,  made  a  slight  repast  of  dried  buffalo 
meat,  and  set  off  up  the  mountain,  to  see  what  game  I 
could  kill,  for  fresh  food. 

The  day  was  very  warm,  and  the  chase  of  two  black- 
tailed  deer  led  me  over  such  rugged  ground,  and  through 
such  difficult  thickets,  that,  when  I  at  length  brought  one 
of  them  to  the  ground,  I  was  quite  tired,  and  having  se- 
cnred  my  game  to  my  person,  I  sat  down  upon  a  rock 
overlooking  the  prairie  bottom,  and  fell  into  a  doze. 

When  I  awoke  the  the  sun  had  already  set ;  but, 
although  darkness  was  fast  gathering  over  the  mountains, 
I  was  surprised  to  see»a  bright  light  flickering  against  its 
sides.  A  glance  assured  me  that  the  mountain  was  on 
fire,  and,  starting  up,  I  saw  at  once  the  danger  of  my 
position.  The  bottom  had  been  fired  but  a  short  distance 
from  where  I  secured  my  animals.  A  dense  cloud  of 
smoke  was  hanging  over  a  gorge,  and  presently,  a  light  air 
springing  up  from  the  east,  a  mass  of  flames  shot  up  into 
the  sky  and  rolled  fiercely  up  the  stream,  the  belt  of 
dry  brush  on  its  banks  catching  fire  and  burning  like 
timber.  The  mountain  was  already  invaded  by  the  de- 
vouring element,  and  two  wings  of  flame  spread  out  from 


f2       „  FIRE  ON  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

the  main  stream,  which,  roaring  along  with  speed  of  a 
race-horse,  licked  the  mountain-side,  extending  its  long 
line  as  it  advanced.  The  dry  pines  and  cedars  hissed 
and  cracked,  as  the  flame,  reaching  them,  ran  up  their 
trunks  and  spread  among  the  limbs,  while  the  long  wav- 
ing grass  underneath  was  a  sea  of  fire.  From  the  rapidity 
with  which  the  fire  advanced  I  feared  that  it  would  al- 
ready have  reached  my  animals,  and  hurried  at  once  to 
the  spot  as  fast  as  I  could  run,  The  prairie  itself  was  as 
yet  untouched,  but  the  surrounding  ridges  were  clothed 
in  fire,  and  the  mules,  with  stretched  ropes,  were  trembling 
with  fear. 

I  immediately  released  the  animals,  mounted  young 
Oregon,  threw  the  cimaron  across  the  back  of  old  Flygrass, 
and  secured  my  packs.  Fondle  struggled  and  fell  from 
its  position  between  the  packs.  I  could  not  wait.  The 
fire  was  rapidly  surrounding  me,  and  cutting  off  my  es- 
cape. Taking  hold  of  the  rope  attached  to  Flygrass's 
bridle,  I  drove  the  spurs  into  young  Oregon,- and  rode 
for  a  broad  stream,  which  was  visible  full  five  miles  in  an 
oblique  direction  from  my  camp,  and  at  a  considerable 
distance  from  the  mountain.  In  that  stream  I  could  pro- 
ceed till  I  reached  the  sandy  plain,  where  tSe  fire  could 
have  but  scanty  fuel.  The  fire  was  travelling  with  amaz- 
ing quickness  through  the  bottom,  and  it  was  an  exciting 
race  for  me  to  reach  the  stream,  before  the  fierce  blaze 


FIRE  ON  THE  MOUNTAINS.  73 


began  to  advance  along  the  bank.  However,  this 
achieved  —  Young  Oregon  plunged  into  the  stream,  and 
waded  in,  waist-deep.  Flygrass,  who  had  broken  from 
my  hand  during  the  race,  came  in  ahead  of  the  cimaron, 
which  was  slightly  singed  as  the  fire  reached  the  bank. 
I  jumped  from  my  horse,  drew  Fondle  into  the  water, 
remounted  young  Oregon,  taking  my  pet  in  my  arms,  and 
leading  the  old  mule,  descended  the  stream  to  the  plain. 
On  each  side  of  me,  the  ground  was  a  sheet  of  flame,  and 
the  heat  and  smoke  nearly  overcame  me.  It  was  a  struggle 
for  life,  however,  and  at  length,  I  stood  upon  the  prairie, 
where  the  herbage  was  so  short,  that  the  fire  could  take 
no  hold.  There  I  felt  safe  and  took  advantage  of  my 
situation  to  view  the  awful  scene  around  me. 

The  mountains  themselves  being  invisible,  the  air,  from 
the  ground  where  I  stood,  appeared  a  mass  of  fire,  and 
huge  crescents  of  flame  danced,  as  it  were,  in  the  very 
sky,  until  a  mass  of  timber,  blazing  at  once,  exhibited  the 
gloomy  back  ground  of  the  rocky  range.  The  bottom 
was  like  a  lake  of  fire,  while  above  it  rolled  vast  clouds 
of  black  smoke.  Here  and  there,  antelopes  and  cimaron 
appeared,  so  frightened,  that  they  rushed  directly  into  the 
jaws  of  the  devouring  element,  and  perished.  Some  of 
these  animals,  partly  scorched,  scampered  away  over  the 
plain,  followed  by  flocks  of  wolves,  who  narrowly  escaping 
themselves,  seemed  resolved  that  the  poor  antelopes 

7 


74  FIRE  ON  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

should  not  enjoy  the  same  exemption  from  death.  My 
pet  cimaron  shuddered  at  the  sight  of  the  ravenous  wolves, 
and  crept  close  to  my  side. 

Following  custom  in  such  cases,  I  drew  my  animals  into 
as  small  a  space  as  possible,  and  then  fell  to  work  pulling 
up  the  herbage  within  a  circle  of  about  fifty  feet  in  dia- 
meter. As  it  was  extremely  scanty,  this  was  a  labor 
quickly  performed.  The  fire  swept  far  and  near.  I  was 
completely  surrounded  by  the  flames,  but  succeeded  in 
keeping  myself  and  stock  unscorched.  When  any  herbage 
caught  my  camp,  I  quickly  trampled  it  out,  and  although 
thus  kept  rather  busy,  I  rendered  myself  more  secure. 
From  the  direction  of  the  wind,  I  judged  that  the  Sho- 
shonee  encampment  would  escape  the  fire.  For  this,  I 
thanked  God,  as  had  the  encampment  been  attacked,  Joe 
would  have  been  abandoned  to  his  fate. 

I  was  unacquainted  with  the  origin  of  the  fire ;  but 
conjectured  that  some  marauding  Indians,  perhaps  Ara- 
pahoes,  had  taken  this  method  of  destroying  some  of  their 
enemies,  or  stealing  their  horses  and  mules,  as  this  is 
often  attempted.  Occasionally,  however,  these  tremen- 
dous fires  originate  in  accident,  such  as  dropping  a  spark 
among  some  dry  leaves,  or  the  blowing  away  of  a  small 
coal  from  a  camp-fire — which  innocent  incendiary  is  left 
to  commence  the  work  of  destruction,  because  unobserved. 

For  two  days  I  remained  encamped  on  this  island,  in 


LEAVES  THE  ISLAND  CAMP.  75 

the  lake  of  fire.  The  flames  had  then  spent  their  de- 
structive force  around  me,  as  far  as  I  could  see.  On  all 
sides  desolation  appeared.  The  mountains  were  covered 
with  blackness,  while  here  and  there  a  smoke  and  a  blaze 
upon  them,  were  still  visible.  The  level  bottom  was  strewn 
with  ashes,  among  which  could  be  seen,  the  half-burnt 
carcasses  of  wolves  and  antelopes ;  and  there,  too,  a  fierce 
lord  of  the  mountain — an  enormous  grizzly  bear,  lay, 
partly  consumed  by  the  side  of  a  black -tailed  deer. 

On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  after  encamping  on 
the  prairie,  I  determined  to  advance  northward.  I  first 
walked  a  considerable  distance  upon  the  prairie,  and  as- 
certained that  the  mules  could  travel  without  scorching 
their  feet — then  adjusting  my  packs,  and  left  the  "  island 
camp,"  as  I  had  christened  the  spot  of  safety.  My  ob- 
ject was  to  advance  as  rapidly  as  possible,  in  order  to 
reach  pasture,  as  my  muleS  were  beginning  to  weaken.  I 
believe  if  they  had  not  obtained  food  within  a  short  time, 
they  would  have  failed  me  entirely.  I  was  fortunate. 
About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  I  reached  the  end  of 
the  desolate  tract,  with  all  its  gloomy  horrors.  It  was 
on  the  bank  of  a  clear  stream.  At  this  point  the  wind 
seemed  to  have  slightly  changed  the  direction  of  the 
flames.  Upon  the  other  side  I  saw  green  grass,  and 
shady  trees,  and  there  I  was  happy  to  encamp.  An  an- 
telope which  I  had  picked  out  of  a  small  herd  near  the 


76  PIKE'S  PEAK. 

foot  of  the  mountains,  furnished  some  luscious  meat  for 
my  evening  meal ;  but  I  could  not  get  within  rifle-shot  of 
any  other  game  before  dark. 

At  dawn  the  next  morning,  I  resumed  my  march  for 
the  trapping  region.  Yet  I  did  not  reach  the  famous 
Bayou  Salada  until  noon  the  day  after  that.  On  the 
banks  of  one  of  the  small  clear  streams  which  pass  through 
this  beautiful  valley,  I  encamped,  preparatory  to  com- 
mencing trapping  operations.  A  mountaineer's  camp  is 
always  picturesque.  Mine  resembled  those  commonly 
constructed.  I  cleared  a  space  about  ten  feet  square,  on 
a  gentle  slope,  about  twenty  yards  from  the  edge  of  the 
stream,  and  put  up  a  breakwind  of  skins  stretched  on  poles. 
On  the  right  of  this  rude  substitute  for  a  tent,  I  erected 
4  meat-frame,  consisting  of  two  upright  poles  and  a  cross- 
piece,  high  above  the  reach  of  wolves  or  bears,  and  on 
that  hung  my  provisions.  A  small  skin  sheltered  my 
ammunition  and  rifle  on  one  side  of  my  camp,  but  I  had 
no  roof.  A  pile  of  wood  was  ranged  on  the  outside  of 
my  camp. 

The  Bayou  Salada,  or  the  Salt  Valley,  is  remarkable 
for  its  wildly  beautiful  scenery.  On  all  sides  it  is  walled 
in  by  lofty  and  rugged  mountains.  Pike's  Peak,  snow- 
covered,  towering  above  all  like  a  ghostly  sentinel.  The 
principal  stream  is  the  Fontaine  qui  Bouille,  or  Boiling 
Spring  river,  which  in  the  valley  is  not  more  than  forty 


THE  BEAVER  REGION.  77 

feet  in  width,  "Gentle  slopes  of  green,  and  patches  of 
woodland  appear  in  the  vicinity  of  the  dancing,  glimmer- 
ing streams,  and  contrast  boldly  with  the  jutting  cliffs 
and  yawning  chasms  of  the  mountains.  The  Indians 
have  fought  many  a  bloody  battle  for  the  possession  of 
this  splendid  hunting  and  trapping  region,  but  the  Yutas 
have  generally  succeeded  in  maintaining  it  against  their 
foes.  I  was  intimately  acquainted  with  these  Indians, 
and  having  no  fear  that  they  would  interrupt  my  pursuits, 
I  immediately  set  about  preparations  for  trapping. 

The  beaver  was  once  found  in  every  part  of  North 
America,  from  Canada  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  but  has  now 
gradually  retired  from  the  encroachment  and  the  perse- 
cutions of  civilized  man,  and  is  met  with  only  in  the  far, 
Far  West,  on  the  tributaries  of  the  great  rivers,  and  the 
mountain  valleys  in  the  great  chain  of  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. On  the  waters  of  the  Platte  and  Arkansas  they 
are  still  numerous,  and  within  the  last  few  years  have  in- 
creased considerably  in  numbers ;  but  the  best  trapping- 
ground  now  is  on  the  streams  running  through  the  Bayou 
Salada,  and  the  Old  'and  New  Parks,  all  of  which  are 
elevated  mountain  valleys. 

The  habits  of  the  beaver  present  quite  a  study  to  the 
naturalist,  and  they  are  certainly  the  most  sagaciously 
instinctive  of  all  quadrupeds.  Their  dams  afford  a  .lesson 
to  the  engineer,  their  houses  a  study  to  the  architect  of 

7* 


78  HABITS  OF  THE  BEAVER. 

comfortable  abodes,  while  their  unremitting  labor  and 
indefatigable  industry  are  models  to  be  followed  by  the 
working  man.  The  lodge  of  the  beaver  is  generally  ex- 
cavated in  the  bank  of  the  stream,  the  entrance  being 
invariably  under  water ;  but  not  unfrequently,  where  the 
banks  are  flat,  they  construct  lodges  in  the  stream  itself, 
of  a  conical  form,  of  limbs  and  branches  of  trees  woven 
together  and  cemented  with  mud.  For  the  purpose  of 
forming  dams,  for  the  necessary  timber  for  their  lodges, 
or  for  the  bark  which  they  store  for  their  winter's  supply 
of  food,  the  beaver  often  fells  a  tree  eight  or  ten  inches 
in  diameter,  throwing  it,  with  the  skill  of  an  expert  woods- 
man, in  any  direction  he  pleases,  always  selecting  a  tree 
above  stream,  in  order  that  the  logs  may  be  carried  down 
with  it  to  their  destination.  The  log  is  then  chopped 
into  small  lengths,  and  pushing  them  into  the  water,  the 
beaver  steers  them  to  the  lodge  or  dam.  These  trees  are 
as  cleanly  cut  as  they  could  be  by  a  sharp  axe,  the  goug- 
ing in  furrows  made  by  the  animal's  strong  teeth  cutting 
into  the  very  centre  of  the  trunk,  the  notch  being  as 
smooth  as  sawed  wood. 

With  his  broad  tail,  which  is  twelve  or  fourteen  inches 
long,  and  above  four  in  breadth,  and  covered  with  a  thick 
scaly  skin,  the  beaver  plasters  his  lodge,  thus  making  it 
perform  all  the  offices  of  a  hand.  They  say  that,  when 
the  beaver's  tail  becomes  dry,  the  animal  dies,  but  whe- 


HABITS  OF  THE  BEAVER.  79 

ther  this  is  the  case  or  not,  I  have  myself  seen  the  beaver 
return  to  the  water  and  plunge  his  tail  into  the  stream, 
and  then  resume  his  labor  with  renewed  vigor ;  and  I 
have  also  seen  them,  with  their  bodies  on  the  bank, 
thumping  the  water  with  their  tails  with  a  most  comical 
perseverance. 

The  female  seldom  produces  more  thau  three  kittens  at 
a  birth,  but  I  know  an  instance  where  one  was  killed,  with 
young,  having  no  less  than  eleven  in  her.  They  live  to 
a  considerable  age,  and  I  once  ate  the  tail  of  an  "  old 
man"  beaver  whose  head  was  perfectly  gray  with  age, 
and  his  beard  was  of  the  same  venerable  hue,  notwith- 
standing which  his  tail  was  as  tender  as  a  young  racoon. 
The  kittens  are  as  playful  as  their  namesakes  of  the  feline 
race,  and  it  is  highly  delightful  to  see  an  old  one  with 
grotesque  gravity  inciting  her  young  to  gambol  about  her, 
while  she  herself  is  engaged  about  some  household  work. 

The  work  of  tracing  and  trapping  the  beaver  has  many 
curious  features.  I  pursued  the  usual  method,  which  I 
had  learned  from  my  father — than  whom  a  more  success- 
ful trapper  never  appeared-among  the  mountains.  I  fol- 
lowed'the  stream,  on  the  banks  of  which  I  had  encamped, 
keeping  a  sharp  watch  for  "  sign."  If  I  saw  a  prostrate 
cotton-wood  tree,  I  examined  if  it  was  the  work  of  the 
beaver — whether  "  thrown"  for  the  purpose  of  food,  or  to 
dam  the  stream.  I  also  examined  the  tracks  of  the  bea- 


80  BEAVER  MEDICINE. 

ver  on  the  mud  or  the  sand  under  the  bank,  and  if  the 
"  sign"  was  fresh,  set  the  trap  in  the  run  of  the  animal, 
hiding  it  under  water,  and  attaching  it  by  a  stout  chain 
to  a  picket  driven  in  the  bank,  or  to  a  bush  or  tree.  A 
"  float-stick,"  was  then  made  fast  to  the  trap,  by  a  cord 
a  few  feet  long,  which,  if  the  animal  carried  aw.ay  the  trap, 
floated  on  the  water,  and  pointed  out  its  position.  The 
trap  was  baited  with  the  "medicine" — which  is  prepared 
from  the  substance  called  castor,  obtained  from  the  glandu- 
lous  pouches  of  the  male  animal.  The  contents  of  five  or 
BIX  castor  bags  are  mixed  with  a  nutmeg,  twelve  or  fifteen 
cloves,  and  thirty  grains  of  cinnamon  in  fine  powder,  and 
then  the  whole  is  stirred  up  with  as  much  whiskey  as  will 
give  it  the  consistence  of  mixed  mustard.  This  prepara- 
tion must  be  kept  closely  corked  up,  and  in  four  or  five 
days,  the  odor  becomes  more  powerful.  As  I  had  often 
observed,  this  "medicine,"  smeared  upon  the  bits, of 
wood,  with  which  the  traps  are  baited,  will  attract  the 
beaver  from  a  great  distance.  Wishing  to  make  a  close 
inspection,  the  animal  puts  its  legs  into  the  trap,  and  is 
caught.  • 

When  I  discovered  a  beaver  lodge,  I  set  the  trap  at 
the  edge  of  the  dam,  at  the  point  where  the  animal  passes 
from  deep  to  shoal  water,  and  always  beneath  the  sur- 
face. Early  in  the  morning,  I  mounted  young  Oregon, 
and  rode  out  to  examine  my  traps.  When  successful,  I 


TRAPPING  BEAVER.  81 

took  the  beaver  to  cainp — skinned  them  and  packed  the 
tails,  which  are  a  great  dainty,  carefully  away.  I  then 
stretched  the  skins  over  hoops,  scraped  off  the  flesh  and 
fatty  substance,  and  left  them  to  dry.  When  dry,  I  folded 
them  into  square  sheets,  the  fur  being  turned  inward ; 
and  about  a  dozen  made  a  bundle  ready  for  transportation. 
I  had  cheering  success,  both  in  trapping  and  hunting, 
and  while  my  camp  was  well  supplied  with  meat,  I  stowed 
away  some  beautiful  skins.  Occasionally  I  saw  Indian 
sign,  and  was  driven  to  extreme  caution  in  my  expedi- 
tions through  the  valley.  However,  no  red  men  appeared ; 
and  I  spent  two  weeks  of  successful  hunting  and  exqui- 
site enjoyment  of  all  the  luxuries  of  a  mountain  camp. 


CHAPTER  XL 

ARRIVAL  OF  JOE  BLANEY.     KILL  AN  ARAPAHO. 
START  FOR  THE  RENDEZVOUS. 

I  DID  not  expect  that  my  friend  Joe  Blaney  could 
reach  me  within  three  weeks.  Therefore  I  was  astonished 
one  clear  evening  to  see  the  well-known  mules  emerge 
from  a  grove  on  the  banks  of  the  stream,  a  short  distance 
from  my  camp.  Joe  was  mounted.  His  thin,  gaunt  face 
bpre  the  marks  of  his  terrible  battle,  and  he  looked  rather 
weakly.  But  he  dismounted  easily,  and  as  he  did  so,  I 
gave  him  three  lusty*  cheers  for  a  welcome.  He  seemed 
to  be  in  very  good  spirits,  for  he  replied  by  a  loud 
cock-a-doodle  doo. 

"Not  gone  under  yet,  Percy,  my  boy,"  he  exclaimed. 

"  Not  exactly,  but  you  look  a  kind  of  streaked,"  I  re- 
plied. "  However,  throw  off  your  packs,  while  I  make 
camp  room,  and  then  we  can  talk  and  eat  at  the  same 
time.  There's  first-rate  pasture  for  the  mules,  and  they 
look  as  if  they  wanted  a  taste  of  that  sort  of  thing. 
(82)  ' 


83 

Within  a  few  minutes,  I  had  extended  the  breakwind, 
and  Joe  had  stowed  his  packs  within,  on  the  side  opposite 
to  that  on  which  mine  were  piled.  The  mules  were  tied 
to  pickets  near  my  own,  and  Fondle,  my  pretty  pet,  played 
among  them  as  if  it  recognised  old  acquaintances.  Joe 
then  took  a  seat  beside  the  fire,  and  as  the  meat  was 
simmering,  we  talked. 

"  Well,  Joe,  now  that  you  are  here,  and  almost  ready 
for  another  fight,  tell  me  how  your  wounds  are  healing, 
and  what  has  happened  to  you  since  I  left  you  in  the 
Shoshonee  camp." 

"  Just  so ;  but  cook  the  meat  quickly,  for  I  feel  wolf- 
ish," said  the  gallant  hunter.  "  The  Shoshonee  squaws 
were  kind  to  me  and  no  mistake.  They  attended  to  me 
as  if  I  had  been  their  child.  Big  Tree,  the  chief,  took 
almost  as  good  care  of  my  mules  as  if  they  had  been  his 
own ;  but  he  had  a  great  deal  of  trouble  in  preventing  his 
young  men  from  stealing  skins  from  my  pack.  I  suppose 
you  saw  the  fire?" 

"  Saw  it  ?  Yes,  indeed,  and  made  a  narrow  escape  from 
it,"  I  replied. 

"  Well,  for  a  time  we  thought  the  blaze  was  going  to 
sweep  over  the  Yampah  to  our  camp,  and  the  Shoshonees 
made  all  the  noises  that  Indians  can  make,  and  you  know 
they  are  hot  slow.  But  Big  tree  saw  that  the  fire  could 
not  reach  the  lodges,  and,  although  he  let  the  party  pre- 


84  A  FEAST. 

pare  for  a  run,  he  kept  them  on  the  ground.  Late  at 
night,  we  saw  the  course  of  the  fire  had  somewhat 
changed,  and  Big  Tree  then  ordered  the  party  to  move 
slowly  down  the  Yampah.  Four  big  braves  carried  me 
in  a  litter.  After  moving,  I  guess  about  a  mile,  the  camp 
was  pitched  again,  and  every  body  owned  that  we  were 
safe.  I  tell  you,  Perey,  I  was  glad  to  be  put  down  again, 
for  the  shaking  of  those  ugly  gashes  in  my  breast  didn't 
feel  the  most  comfortable,  no  way.  Well,  I  remained  in 
camp  for  about  a  week,  before  I  was  able  to  walk  about ; 
and  then  I  frightened  the  young  Shoshonees.  After  that 
I  gained  strength  so  fast,  owing  to  the  natural  healthi- 
ness of  my  meat,  that  I  started  three  days  ago  for  the 
Bayou,  intending  to  travel  slowly,  and  here  I  got  to-night, 
without  any  accident.  Is  the  deer  done  ?  Just  so.  I'll 
take  something  like  a  hunk  this  time.  Help  yourself, 
Perey.  How's  the  beaver,  and  where's  the  Injuns  ?" 

"  Look  at  the  skins.  Trapping  in  the  Bayou  was  never 
better  to  my  knowledge,"  I  replied.  "  Indians  are  about, 
but  whether  they  are  Yutas,  Shoshonees,  or  Arapahoes, 
I  can't  say." 

"  Let  them  look  out,  Old  Joe  will  be  in  trim  for  them 
shortly.  But  we  must  make  good  packs  of  beaver  this 
time.  Smart  show  that  you  have  already." 

We  made  a  hearty  meal,  enjoyed  the  luxury  of  tho 
pipe — and  then  stretched  ourselves  for  repose. 


KILLS  AN  ARAPAHO.  85 

The  next  morning,  Joe  and  I  rode  out  together  to  ex- 
amine my  traps,  and  to  set  some  additional  ones.  He  had 
more  traps  than  I ;  but  we  agreed  to  make  an  equal  divi- 
sion of  the  results  of  our  labor  and  skill.  Within  a  week 
afterwards,  Joe  had  recovered  his  strength  and  activity. 
We  were  as  successful  as  could  be  expected  in  trapping 
the  beaver,  and  lived  on  the  "  fat  of  the  valley."  Our  only 
cause  of  uneasiness  was  the  frequent  "sign"  of  Indians, 
whom  we  believed  to  be  lurking  around  in  small  parties. 

One  morning,  as  I  was  about  to  examine  a  trap  near  a 
dam,  a  considerable  distance  from  camp,  I  was  startled  by 
a  sound  resembling  the  fixing  of  an  arrow  to  a  bow-string. 
I  turned  quickly,  and  luckily,  for  upon  the  instant,  an 
arrow  struck  me  in  the  thigh,  and  I  beheld  an  Arapaho 
about  to  repeat  the  attempt  upon  my  life.  Regardless 
of  the  wound,  I  raised  my  rifle  and  fired ;  and  when  the 
smoke  cleared  away,  I  saw  the  savage  lying,  gathered  up 
in  a  heap,  on  the  ground.  I  was  at  that  time  a  moun- 
taineer in  heart  and  habit.  I  lifted  up  the  head,  seized 
the  scalp-lock,  and  in  a  moment  the  reeking  scalp  was 
tied  to  my  belt — a  savage  trophy.  I  then  turned  my 
attention  to  my  wound.  The  arrow  had  pierced  the 
fleshy  part  of  the  thigh  clean  through,  and  I  had  to  cut 
off  the  head  before  I  could  remove  the  weapon.  The 
blood  then  flowed  freely ;  but  I  bound  my  legging  tightly 
around  it,  mounted  my  mule,  and  rode  rapidly  back  to 

8 


86  START  FOR  THE  RENDEZVOUS. 

camp.  About  an  hour  afterwards,  Joe  came  in  with  three 
beavers.  He  was  a  little  alarmed  at  the  sight  of  blood ; 
but  he  quickly  dressed  the  wound,  and  applied  himself  to 
rendering  my  position  as  comfortable  as  possible  under 
the  circumstances.  But  with  all  his  attention,  my  wound 
was  very  painful,  and  it  was  a  whole  week  before  I  was 
able  to  attend  to  my  traps. 

We  continued  to  trap  in  the  Bayou  until  the  early 
part  of  October.  We  lived  well,  saw  nothing  more  of  the 
Indians  in  our  neighborhood,  and  packed  away  a  fine  lot 
of  skins.  At  the  time  mentioned,  we  broke  up  our  camp, 
and  started  for  the  trapper's  rendezvous  known  as 
"  Brown's  Hole." 


CHAPTER  XII. 

LIFE  AT  THE  TRAPPERS*  RENDEZVOUS  ADVENTU- 
ROUS  ENGAGEMENT  WITH  AN  ENGLISH  GEN- 
TLEMAN. * 

"  BROWN'S  HOLE,"  is  an  inclosed  valley,  on  Green  river, 
one  of  the  affluents  of  the  Colorado.  It  is  surrounded  with 
lofty  mountains,  which  cause  it  to  look  much  smaller  that 
it  is  in  reality.  It  is  well-wooded,  and  abounds  in  every 
variety  of  game.  This  valley  is  a  favorite  wintering-ground 
of  the  mountaineers.  Here  they  bring  the  results  of  their 
toil  and  endurance.  A  trading  station  and  a  considerable 
number  of  shanties,  or  lodges,  make  up  a  little  village, 
which,  however,  disappears  with  the  snow. 

We  arrived  at  "  Brown's  Hole"  in  good  time,  and  in 
excellent  condition.  A  trader  was  already  there,  with 
an  extensive  store  of  powder,  lead,  tobacco,  and  ardent 
spirits,  and  various  other  articles  in  demand  among  the 

(87) 


88          TRADING  AT  THE  RENDEZVOUS. 

mountaineers.  Several  trapping  bands  had  already  ar- 
rived. Singly,  and  in  bands,  numbering  from  two  to  ten, 
the  trappers  dropped  into  the  rendezvous;  some  with 
many  pack-loads,  others  with  greater  or  less  quantity,  and 
more  than  one  on  foot,  having  lost  his  animals  and  peltry 
by  Indian  thieving.  Here  were  soon  congregated  many 
mountaineers,  whose  names  are  famous  in  the  history  of 
the  Far  West.  Fitzpatrick  and  Hatcher,  and  old  Bill 
Williams,  well  known  leaders  of  the  trapping  parties, 
soon  arrived  with  their  bands.  Sublette  came  in  with  his 
men  from  Yellow  Stone,  and  many  of  Wyeth's  New  En- 
glanders  were  there.  Chabonard,  with  his  half-breeds, 
Wah-keitchas  all,  brought  his  peltries  from  the  lower 
country ;  and  a  half-a-dozen  Shawnee  and  Delaware  In- 
dians, with  a  Mexican  from  Taos,  one  Marcelline,  a  fine 
strapping  fellow,  the  best  trapper  and  hunter  in  the  moun- 
tains, and  ever  first  in  the  fight.  Here,  too,  arrived  the 
"  Bourgeois"  traders  of  the  "North  West  Company,"  with 
their  superior  equipments,  ready  to  meet  their  trappers, 
and  purchase  the  beaver  at  an  equitable  value ;  and  soon 
the  trade  opened,  and  the  encampment  assumed  a  busy 
appearance. 

The  beaver  sold  well,  six  dollars  being  the  price  paid 
a  pound  in  goods,  but  the  latter,  as  usual,  were  fixed  at 
very  exorbitant  rates.  Joe  and  I  sold  our  stock  of  skins 
for  "about  a  thousand  dollars;  but  the  quantity  of  goods 


LIFE  AT  THE  RENDEZVOUS.  89 

received  was  really  worth  about  half  that  sum.  The 
cimaron  was  greatly  admired  by  the  trappers,  and  all 
praised  my  skill  in  training  the  animal.  The  principal 
bidder  at  the  station — a  shrewd  Yankee — purchased  it 
for  what  he  called  a  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  powder 
and  lead.  I  was  glad  to  get  rid  of  Fondle  at  any  price, 
for  although  it  was  a  pretty  pet,  it  cost  me  a  great  deal 
of  care  to  attend  to  it  properly.  Still,  as  the  trader  led 
the  animal  away,  I  could  not  help  a  feeling  of  regret. 

The  trade  having  been  completed,  the  mountaineers 
plunged  into  all  the  dissipation  of  the  station.  Drinking, 
gambling,  and  rioting,  were  almost  the  only  occupations 
of  the  day.  The  property  so  hardly  earned  was  rapidly 
spent.  Men  could  be  seen  in  all  stages  of  drunkenness — 
from  riotous  elevation  to  beastly  intoxication.  Joe,  who 
had  long  been  accustomed  to  regard  these  scenes  as  thing* 
of  course,  and  even  necessary  to  a  social  existence,  en- 
gaged in  them,  as  freely  as  the  rest.  I  had  an  aversion 
for  them.  The  counsels  of  my  mother  were  constantly 
in  my  mind.  On  this  occasion  I  was  saved  from  the  in- 
fluence of  temptation  by  a  circumstance  which  effected  a 
complete  change  in  my  mode  of  life. 

There  was  an  English  sportsman  at  the  station — a  gen- 
tlemen of  fortune,  named  Robert  Barrill,  with  whom  I 
managed  to  scrape  an  acquaintance.  He  was  very  intel- 
ligent and  agreeable,  and  a  daring  and  successful  sports- 

8* 


90  MR.  BARRILL'S.  PROPOSAL. 

man.  Having  leisure,  fortune,  and  no  encumbrances,  he 
had  visited  America  to  engage  in  the  exciting  and  perilous 
sports  of  the  prairies — a  kind  of  life  he  preferred  to  that 
of  indolent  ease.  He  expressed  himself  greatly  delighted 
with  hunting  on  the  plains,  and  narrated  a  numher  of 
adventures,  as  we  enjoyed  a  social  pipe.  He  said,  how- 
ever, that  the  drunken  and  riotous  hehavior  of  the  moun- 
tain men  at  the  station  shocked  him.  One  reason  for  his 
singling  me  out  for  an  especial  friend  was  that  I  kept 
aloof  from  their  dissipation,  and  strove  to  save  something 
of  the  profits  of  my  hunting  and  trapping  expeditions. 

I  had  spent  about  two  weeks  at  the  station,  when,  one 
evening,  Mr.  Barrill  came  into  my  lodge,  and  sat  down 
for  a  talk.  He  said  he  had  an  important  proposal  to 
make.  He  was  greatly  pleased  with  my  character,  al- 
though he  had  known  me  but  a  very  short  time.  He  had 
no  urgent  business  to  call  him  back  to  England,  and  he 
designed  to  try  sporting  in  various  parts  of  the  world. 
He  wanted  a  trusty  and  experienced  companion — had 
ample  means  to  defray  the  expenses  of  both — and  if  I 
would  accompany  him  in  his  travels  and  hunting  expedi- 
tions, he  would  take  care  that  I  was  well  provided  in  every 
respect.  The  novelty  of  the  proposal  took  me  by  sur- 
prise;  but  I  was  rather  pleased  with  the  idea.  However, 
I  requested  a  day  to  consider.  I  reflected  upon  my  con- 
dition— an  able-bodied  young  hunter,  without  encum- 


JOE'S  ADVICE.  91 

brances  of  any  kind.  Then  I  thought  of  the  curious 
countries,  strange  people,  and,  above  all,  the  rare  sports, 
I  should  see.  I  could  not  doubt  the  truth  of  what  Mr. 
Barrill  informed  in  regard  to  his  means — for  in  our  short 
acquaintance,  he  had  shown  ample  proof  of  his  sincerity. 
Then  I  sought  the  advice  of  Joe  Blaney,  although  the 
brain  of  that  veteran  mountaineer  was,  during  most  of 
the  time,  lamentably  foggy.  However,  Joe  said  that  if 
I  rejected  such  an  offer,  I  would  deserved  to  be  "chawed 
up  alive  by  a  grizzly."  Before  the  day  had  elapsed,  I 
was  enlisted  in  the  service  of  a  universal  sportsman,  and 
had  begun  preparations  for  a  start  from  the  station. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

A  JOURNEY  AND  HUNT  THROUGH  NEW  MEXICO. 
START  FOR  SOUTH  AMERICA. 

MR.  BARRILL  seemed  very  much  pleased  when  informed 
that  I  had  resolved  to  accompany  him  in  his  distant  ex- 
peditions. He  immediately  gave  me  several  valuable 
presents — among  them  being  a  handsome  bullet-pouch,  a 
powder-flask,  and  a  finely  mounted  revolver.  My  rifle 
was  equal  to  any  to  be  seen  at  the  station.  Mr.  Barrill 
then  informed  me  that  he  intended  to  proceed  to  South 
America,  to  try  hunting  in  the  forests  of  Brazil,  and  upon 
the  vast  plains  called  the  Pampas.  After  much  delibe- 
ration, he  had  decided  to  journey  through  New  Mexico, 
by  way  of  the  Rio  Grand  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  to  New 
Orleans,  where  passage  could  be  secured  to  Rio  Janeiro. 
This  arrangement  was  satisfactory  to  me.  I  merely  sug- 
gested that  we  should  take-  the  vale  of  Taos,  that  Para- 
dise of  mountaineers,  on  our  way  through  New  Mexico. 
(92)  , 


TRADE  WITH  THE  YUTA  INDIANS.          93 

Mr.  Barrill  had  a  fine  equipment  for  travelling  through 
the  wildernees.  He  had  four  excellent  mules — and  one 
swift  horse,  elegantly  caparisoned.  His  packs  comprised 
some  remarkable  trophies,  two  or  three  beaver  traps, 
some  rare  articles  of  provision,  the  best  of  ammunition, 
and  a  number  of  small  tools  for  which  use  enough  may 
be  found  far  away  from  the  settlements. 

Leaving  the  station  amid  the  drunken  cheers  of  the 
mountaineers,  we  sat  out  upon  our  great  sporting  expedi- 
tion. We  travelled  leisurely,  keeping  a  sharp  look-out 
for  game.  We  passed  Greenhorn  creek  without  meeting 
with  any  remarkable  adventure.  On  Huerfano,  or  Or- 
phan creek,  so  called  from  an  isolated  hutte,  which  stands 
on  a  prairie  near  the  stream,  we  fell  in  with  a  party  of 
Yuta  Indians.  They  seemed  very  friendly,  but  I  advised 
Mr.  Barrill  to  get  out  of  their  way  as  quickly  as  possible, 
as  they  were  likely  enough  to  entertain  treacherous  de- 
signs. He  traded  with  them,  however,  for  a  few  deer 
skins,  for  the  dressing  of  which  they  are  justly  celebrated. 
We  then  pushed  forward,  and  camped  under  the  moun- 
tain on  Oak  creek,  in  a  strong  position,  which  the  two 
of  us  could  have  maintained  against  a  host. 

At  this  point  is  a  tolerable  pass  through  the  mountains, 
where  a  break  occurs  in  a  range,  whence  they  gradually 
decrease  in  magnitude  until  they  meet  the  sierras  of  Mex- 
ico , which  connect  the  two  mighty  chains  of  the  Andes 


94  PRAIRIE  SCENERY. 

and  the  Rocky  Mountains.  From  the  summit  of  the  divid- 
ing ridge,  to  the  eastward,  a  view  is  had  of  the  vast  sea  of 
prairie  which  stretches  away  from  the  base  of  the  moun- 
tains in  dreary  barrenness,  for  nearly  a  thousand  miles, 
until  it  meets  the  fertile  valley  of  the  great  Missouri. 
Over  this  boundless  expanse,  nothing  breaks  the  uninter- 
rupted solitude  of  the  view.  Not  a  tree  or  atom  of  foliage 
relieves  the  eye ;  for  the  lines  of  scattered  timber,  which 
belt  the  streams  running  from  the  mountains,  are  lost  in 
the  shadow  of  their  stupendous  height,  and  beyond  this 
nothing  is  seen  but  the  bare  surface  of  the  rolling  prairie. 
In  no  other  part  of  the  chain  are  the  grand  characteristics 
of  the  Far  West  more  strikingly  displayed  than  from  this 
pass*  The  mountains  here  rise,  on  the  eastern  side,  ab- 
ruptly from  the  plain,  and  the  view  over  the  great  prairies 
is  not  therefore  obstructed  by  intervening  ridges.  To  the 
westward  the  eye  sweeps  over  the  broken .  spurs  which 
stretch  from  the  main  range  in  every  direction ;  while 
distant  peaks,  for  the  most  part  snow-covered,  are  seen  at 
intervals  rising  isolated  above  the  range.  On  all  sides  the 
scene  is  wild  and  dismal. 

Crossing  by  this  pass,  we  followed  the  Yuta  trail,  skirt- 
ing a  pine-covered  ridge,  in  which  countless  herds  of  an- 
telope, tame  as  sheep,  were  feeding.  Numerous  creeks 
well  timbered  with  oak,  pine,  and  cedar,  intersect  it,  and 
game  of  all  kinds  was  there  abundant.  Mr.  Barrill  proved 


MEET  WITH  OLD  FRIENDS.  95 

himself  an  excellent  shot,  and  a  hunter  of  unflinching 
courage.  Yet  he  frankly  acknowledged  that  I  could 
learn  him  much  in  regard  to  the  methods  of  getting  within 
rifle-shot  of  game.  Each  day  exalted  the  character  of 
this  gentleman  in  my  eyes,  and,  upon  his  part,  he  omitted 
no  opportunity  of  showing  that  I  had  his  esteem.  His 
conversation  was  full  of  instruction.  How  could  I  regret 
having  exchanged  such  company  as  that  of  honest,  but 
narrow-minded,  Joe  Blaney,  for  that  of  Mr.  Barrill  ? 

On  the  eleventh  day  after  leaving  Orphan  creek,  we 
struck  the  Taos  valley  settlement  on  Arroyo  Hondo,  and 
pushed  on  at  once  to  the  village  of  Fernandez,  sometimes 
called  Taos.  As  we  dashed  through  the  village,  the  doors 
of  the  adobe  houses  were  thrown  open,  and  numerous 
dark-eyed  beauties  appeared,  each  smoking  a  cigarito. 
All  replied  to  our  salute,  "  Adios  Americanos  !"  believing 
us  both  to  be  American  mountaineers.  I  was  well  known 
in  the  valley,  having  visited  it  on  two  or  three  occasions, 
in  company  with  a  party  of  mountaineers.  We  rode  to 
the  house  of  an  old  mountaineer,  who  had  long  been  re- 
cognised as  the  entertainer  of  the  hunters  when  they  vi- 
sited the  Taos  valley,  and  were  somewhat  agreeably  sur- 
prised to  find  two  stalwart  trappers  from  the  Yellow  Stone 
stopping  there.  They  gave  us  a  hearty  welcome,  invited  us 
to  a  fandango,  which  they  had  arranged  for  that  evening, 
and  seemed  exceedingly  desirous  of  securing  our  good 


96  FIGHT  AT  A  FANDANGO. 

will.  Mr.  Barrill  seldom  shunned  sociability,  and  as  I 
happened  to  know  the  mountaineers  to  be  honest,  true- 
hearted  men,  I  recommended  them  to  his  favor. 

The  fandango  came  off  in  the  great  hall  of  the  Alcalde, 
on  the  same  evening.  Mr.  Barrill  and  I  were  promptly 
on  the  spot.  My  friend  enjoyed  the  scene  amazingly, 
and  danced  and  frolicked  with  the  girls,  in  a  style  which 
none  of  the  hunters,  so  noted  for  their  "sprees,"  could 
equal.  On  one  occasion,  a  mountaineer,  seeing  a  jealous 
Mexican  interfere  with  his  zealous  courtship,  knocked  him 
down.  Knives  were  out  in  an  instant,  and  a  bloody 
affray  might  have  occurred  if  Mr.  Barrill  had  not  inter- 
fered. He  spoke  mildly  and  persuasively,  but  also  with  an 
air  of  authority,  which  had  its  effect.  Order  was  restored 
and  the  dancing  resumed,  and  continued  till  the  peep  of 
day,  when  Mr.  Barrill  and  I  returned  to  the  old  moun- 
taineer's house,  more  fatigued  than  ever  we  were  after  a 
day's  hunt. 

We  stopped  one  day  at  Taos  to  rest,  and  then  resumed 
our  journey,  intending  to  follow  the  course  of  the  Rio 
Grande  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  more  for  novelty  than  for 
any  other  purpose.  Yet  we  found  that  this  route  was 
about  as  dull  and  monotonous  as  any  tha.t  we  had  ever 
travelled.  We  passed  through  a  number  of  small  towns, 
the  inhabitants  of  which  were  remarkable  for  nothing  but 
squalor  and  treacherous  cowardice.  Most  of  the  Indians 


A  NAVAJO  CHIEF.  97 

we  met  on  the  route  were  timid  and  degraded.  But  we 
heard  that  parties  of  the  bold  Apaches  and  Navajos  had 
penetrated  but  recently  to  the  settlements,  and  committed 
many  outrages.  The  Navajos  are  the  most  powerful  of 
all  the  Indian  enemies  of  the  New  Mexicans.  They  ai  e 
a  handsome,  intelligent,  daring  people,  far  superior  in 
every  respect  to  the  Pueblo  Indians  of  New  Mexico. 

On  arriving  at  Santa  Fe,  the  capital  of  the  territory, 
I  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  a  Navajo  chief,  who  had 
been  captured  by  a  large  party  of  New  Mexicans,  while 
recklessly  exposing  himself  in  an  attack.  He  was  a  fine, 
manly  looking  fellow ;  but  the  ill  treatment  of  his  captors 
threatened  to  reduce  him  to  a  most  wretched  condition. 
In  spite  of  the  cruelties  of  which  he  had  been  guilty,  I 
was  compelled  to  pity  him. 

In  descending  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Grande,  we  found 
excellent  pasture  for  our  animals;  but  the  game  was 
scarce,  and  not  of  the  most  inviting  kinds.  Mr.  Barrill 
repeatedly  expressed  the  wish  that  he  had  determined 
upon  another  route.  At  length,  after  weeks  of  dull  tra- 
velling, we  approached  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  on  the  east  side 
of  the  Rio  Grande.  At  Point  Isabel,  we  found  a  schooner, 
about  to  sail  for  Galvezton,  and  Mr.  Barrill  immediately 
secured  a  passage  for  us  both. 

I  had  never  been  upon  the  sea  before.  My  sensations, 
as  the  schooner  made  sail  from  Point  Isabel,  were  so  novel 

9 


98  SAIL  FOR  RIO  JANEIRO. 

that  I  must  have  behaved  very  strangely.  The  view  of 
the  boundless  level  of  the  prairie  seemed  nothing  to  the 
sight  of  the  vast  and  apparently  shoreless  sea.  We  had 
some  rough  weather ;  but  having  a  stomach  of  leather  I 
did  not  experience  what  is  called  sea-sickness.  At  Gal- 
vezton,  the  chief  port  of  Texas,  and  a  very  bustling  town, 
we  took  a  sveamer  for  New  Orleans,  the  great  port  of  the 
Southern  Ste  ;es.  Mr.  Barrill  and  myself  were  too  anxious 
to  be  off  to  tLe  sporting  regions  to  waste  much  time  in 
that  gay  citj  We  engaged  passage  in  a  large  ship 
bound  for  Rio  Janeiro,  and  soon  afterwards,  the  shores 
nf  my  native  land  faded  from  my  view. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

ARRIVAL  AT  RIO.     HUNTING  IN  THE  FORESTS  OF 
BRAZIL. 

I  WILL  not  fatigue  the  reader  with  the  monotonous  de- 
tail of  the  voyage  to  Rio  Janeiro.  In  spite  of  the  enter- 
taining company  of  Mr.  Barrill,  and  rather  a  lively  set 
of  passengers,  I  was  heartily  glad  when  the  captain  an- 
nounced that  we  were  approaching  the  beautiful  bay  of 
the  Brazilian  port.  And  when  we  entered  it,  I  was  in 
ecstacies. 

Rio  Janeiro,  the  capital  of  the  province  of  the  same 
name,  may  now,  perhaps,  rank  as  the  largest  and  most 
flourishing  city  of  South'  America.  It  lies  on  the  western 
side  of  a  bay,  seventy  or  eighty  miles  in  circumference, 
forming  one  of  the  most  spacious  and  secure  receptacles 
for  shipping  in  the  world.  It  is  studded  with  upwards 
of  one  hundred  islands ;  the  ships  of  all  nations  are  seen 
passing  through  its  channels,  and  innumerable  little  boats 
are  seen  flitting  about.  The  shore  rises  immediately  into 

(99)  " 


100  RIO  JANEIRO. 

green  and  woody  hills,  thickly  planted  with  villas  and 
convents,  and  behind  which  lofty  mountains  shoot  up  their 
heads  in  the  most  picturesque  and  romantic  forms.  The&e 
objects  compose  the  most  enchanting  scene  that  can  be 
imagined.  It  struck  a  late  traveller  as  greatly  resembling 
the  Trosachs  at  the  entrance  of  Loch  Katrine.  The  town 
is  tolerably  well  built,  the  houses  being  three  or  four  stories 
high,  though  the  streets  are  rather  narrow.  Two  of  them 
extend  the  whole  length,  with  new  and  broad  streets  strik- 
ing off  from  them  ;  and  there  are  several  handsome  squares. 
The  town  is  well  supplied  with  water,  by  excellent  aque- 
ducts. The  environs  of  Rio  Janeiro  are  delightful  in  the 
extreme,  the  valleys  and  sides  of  the  hills  being  covered 
with  trees,  shrubs,  and  creeping  plants  of  peculiar  beauty. 
The  bay  of  Bottafogo,  and  the  sides  of  the  rude  and  lofty 
mountains  called  the  Corcovado,  are  the  spots  most  par- 
ticularly celebrated.  The  king  has  a  rural  palace,  called 
San  Christovao,  of  light  and  pavilion-like  architecture, 
and  which  from  its  site  has  a  much  more  pleasing  effect 
than  that  in  the  city.  The  arsenal,  the  dock  yard,  and 
marine  establishments  are  on  a  small  island  within  the 
harbor. 

Mr.  Barrill  was  exceedingly  delighted  with  the  city 
and  its  magnificent  harbor.  He  had  letters  of  introduc- 
tion to  the  British  consul,  and  a  number  of  other  distin 
guished  persons,  who  gave  us  a  handsome  entertainment. 


FORESTS  OF  BRAZIL.  101 

But  we  were  anxious  to  pursue  our  grand  purpose,  and  to 
be  abroad  in  the  forests  of  Brazil — admiring  their  beauty 
and  vast  variety  of  game.  With  much  difficulty  we 
effected  an  engagement  with  a  native  of  Rio  Janeiro,  who 
had  travelled  and  hunted  in  the  interior  of  the  country, 
and  who  was  therefore  considered  a  reliable  guide.  He 
spoke  English  almost  as  well  as  Portuguese  and  Spanish — 
the  chief  languages  of  the  country — and  seemed  to  be 
brave  and  intelligent.  We  were  well  provided  with  horses 
and  mules  ;  but  the  guide  insisted  on  our  purchasing  three 
fine  horses  from  the  plains  of  Buenos  Ayres.  The  cheap- 
ness of  these  animals  astonished  Mr.  Barrill  as  well  as 
myself.  New  spurs  and  heavy  cloaks,  or  serapas,  com- 
pleted our  equipment.  About  a  week  after  our  arrival  at 
Rio,  we  set  off,  in  the  best  of  spirits,  for  the  interior  of 
the  country.  Yet  it  was  several  days  before  we  left  the 
plantations  of  sugar,  cotton,  and  coffee,  behind  us. 

Dense  and  impenetrable  forests  cover  a  great  part  of 
the  interior  of  Brazil,  and  exhibit  a  luxuriance  of  vegeta- 
tion almost  peculiar  to  the  central  regions  of  South  Ame- 
rica. The  infinite  variety  of  tints  which  these  woods  dis- 
play, give  them  an  aspect  wholly  different  from  those  of 
Europe.  Each  of  the  lofty  sons  of  the  forest  has  an  effect 
distinct  from  that  of  the  rest.  The  brilliant  white  of  the 
silver  tree,  the  brown  head  of  the  Mangou,  the  purple  flowers 
of  the  Brazil  wood,  the  laburnums,  the  deep  red  fungus, 

9* 


102  FORESTS  OF  BRAZIL. 

and  the  carmine-colored  lichens,  which  invest  the  trunks 
and  bark,  all  mingle  in  brilliant  confusion,  forming  groups 
finely  contrasted  and  diversified.  The  gigantic  height  of 
the  palms,  with  their  varying  crowns,  give  to  these  forests 
an  incomparable  majesty.  All  these  are  interwoven  with 
a  net  work  of  creeping  and  climbing  plants,  so  close  as  to 
form  round  the  tree  a  verdant  wall,  which  the  eye  is  un- 
able to  penetrate ;  and  many  of  the  flowering  species,  that 
climb  up  the  trunks,  spread  forth  and  present  the  ap- 
pearance of  parterres  hanging  in  the  air.  These  woods 
are  not  a  silent  scene,  unless  during  the  deepest  heat  of 
noon,  but  are  crowded  and  rendered  vocal  by  the  greatest 
variety  of  the  animal  tribes.  Birds  of  the  most  singular 
forms  and  most  superb  plumage  flutter  through  the  bushes. 
The  toucan  rattles  his  large  hollow  bill ;  the  busy  orioles 
creep  out  of  their  long  pendant  nests ;  the  amorous  thrush, 
the  chattering  manakin,  the  full  tones  of  the  nightingale, 
amuse  the  hunter ;  while  the  humming  birds,  rivalling  in 
lustre  diamonds,  emeralds,  and  sapphires,  hover  round 
the  brightest  flowers.  Myriads  of  the  most  brilliant  bee- 
tles buzz  in  the  air ;  and  the  gayest  butterflies,  rivalling 
m  splendor  the  colors  of  the  rainbow,  flutter  from  flower 
to  flower.  Meanwhile  the  beautiful,  but  sometimes  dan- 
gerous, race  of  lizards  and  serpents,  exceeding  in  splen- 
dor the  enamel  of  the  flowers,  glide  out  of  the  leaves  and 
hoUows  of  the  trees.  Troops  of  squirrels  and  monkeys  leap 


ANIMALS  OF  SOUTH  AMERICA.  103 

from  bough  to  bough,  and  large  bodies  of  ants,  issuing 
from  their  nests,  creep  along  the  ground.  These  immense 
forests  are  rich  in  timber  of  every  description,  for  use  and 
ornament,  suited  either  for  carpentry,  ship  building,  dye- 
ing, or  furniture.  That  kind  specially  called  Brazil  wood 
is  particularly  celebrated  for  the  beautiful  red  dye  which 
it  produces. 

Our  guide  informed  us  that  the  forests  were  full  of  ra- 
pacious animals,  among  which  he  mentioned  the  tiger-cat, 
the  hyona,  the  saratu,  an  animal  about  the  size  of  a  fox, 
but  far  more  ferocious,  the  jaguar  or  South  American 
tiger,  the  sloth,  and  the  porcupine ;  that  the  planters 
were  much  annoyed  by  ounces  ;  that  antas,  or  tapirs,  and 
wild  hogs,  were  abundant.  The  tapir  is  the  largest  of 
the  native  quadrupeds.  It  is  timid  and  harmless,  feeding 
like  a  horse.  It  is  amphibious,  and  capable  of  remaining 
a  long  time  at  the  bottom  of  lakes  and  rivers,  without 
coming  up  to  respire.  When  killed,  its  flesh  is  generally 
eaten,  and  differs  but  little  from  the  ox. 

We  had  not  long  journeyed  through  the  forest,  before 
the  keen  eye  of  the  guide  detected  a  huge  tapir,  feeding 
at  a  considerable  distance  on  our  right.  He  said  that  if 
we  would  get  between  it  and  the  river,  the  course  of  which 
we  were  following,  it  might  easily  be  taken.  We  dis- 
mounted, tied  our  horses  to  trees,  and  crept  in  different 
directions  towards  the  stream.  Mr.  Barrill  happened  to 


104  HUNTING  THE  TAPIR. 

show  himself  above  the  bushes,  before  the  guide  and  my- 
self could  get  in  position.  He  fired,  but  missed,  and  the 
animal  plunged  into  the  water  and  disappeared.  By  the 
advice  of  the  guide,  we  then  stood  upon  the  bank  of  the 
stream,  about  thirty  yards  apart.  The  opposite  bank 
was  within  rifle-shot,  and  we  naturally  expected  that  the 
tapir  would  strive  to  escape  by  swimming  to  that  point. 
We  stood  patiently  in  shooting  position  for  full  ten  mi- 
nutes, when  the  animal  was  seen  slowly  ascending  the 
bank.  Instantly  two  balls  were  driven  into  him,  and  he 
fell  backwards  into  the  water. 

The  next  difficulty  was  to  secure  the  game.  The  stream 
was  too  deep  to  ford.  But  with  a  rapidity  that  startled 
me,  the  guide  constructed  a  stout  raft  of  small  palm 
trunks,  bound  together  with  vines,  and  with  one  of  our 
camping-poles  pushed  it  across.  Then,  tying  the  snout 
of  the  tapir  to  the  raft,  he  towed,  the  carcass  in  triumph 
to  our  side,  upon  which  we  gave  him  a  round  of  cheers. 
The  animal  proved  to  be  a  male  of  the  largest  size.  It 
was  a  clumsy  looking  beast.  We  cut  off  such  portions  of 
the  meat  as  the  guide  recommended,  and  made  a  hearty 
meal  in  the  forest.  The  flesh  is  very  much  inferior  to 
that  of  the  buffalo,  but  still  quite  palatable. 

The  next  day  we  had  another  tapir  hunt,  in  which  we 
ascertained  the  remarkable  peculiarities  of  this  animal. 
When  pursued,  it  ran  awkwardly,  leaving  a  broad  trail, 


HUNTING  THE  JAGUAR.  105 

and  in  a  circle,  so  that  we  had  but  little  difficulty  in 
bringing  it  to  the  ground.  We  shot  a  number  of  wild 
cattle  out  of  a  herd,  near  the  edge  of  a  broad  and  open 
valley,  and  thus  obtained  an  abundance  of  fresh  meat ; 
but  after  a  week's  travel  we  were  somewhat  disappointed 
in  the  sport  afforded  by  the  game  of  these  forests.  Mr. 
Barrill  expressed  his  disappointment,  and  I  agreed  with 
him.  After  some  discussion  with  the  guide,  we  deter- 
mined to  return  to  Bio,  and  then  proceed  to  Buenos 
Ayre^s.  The  guide  insisted  on  the  exciting  character  of 
the  Brazilian  sport,  but  we  had  experienced  the  thrilling 
excitement  of  hunting  on  the  prairie,  and  gave  him  a  very 
decided  expression  of  our  non-assent. 

On  the  third  day  of  our  return  joiirney,  however,  we 
had  a  taste  of  peril.  About  daybreak,  I  detected  an 
animal  prowling  near  the  camp,  which  the  guide  pro- 
nounced a  large  jaguar.  Our  horses  and  mules  evinced 
their  knowledge  of  the  proximity  of  danger  by  neighing, 
snorts,  and  starts.  A  moment  more,  and  one  of  them 
might  have  been  writhing  beneath  the  claws  of  the  fierce 
monster.  The  guide  advanced  cautiously  to  the  attack ; 
and  just  as  the  jaguar  was  about  to  spring  upon  the 
nearest  horse,  fired.  The  shot  was  effective,  and  the 
animal,  with  a  horrid  growl,  limped  away  through  the 
bushes.  All  gave  chase — Mr.  Barrill  saw  an  opportunity 
for  a  shot  in  the  rear,  and  fired,  when  the  jaguar  fell  back 


106  LEAVE  RIO  JANEIRO. 

upon  his  haunches.  It  then  turned,  and,  wounded  as  it 
was,  ran  rapidly  towards  us.  The  guide  sprang  aside, 
and  Mr.  Barrill  was  seized  by  the  leg.  At  the  same  mo- 
ment, a  ball  from  my  rifle,  sent  the  jaguar  to  the  arms 
of  death. 

Mr.  Barrill  had  a  narrow  escape.  His  leg  was  severely 
bitten,  and  he  could  scarcely  stand  upon  it.  Yet  this  enthu- 
siastic sportsman  could  not  help  admiring  the  beautiful 
skin  of  the  monster  —  yellow,  spotted  with  brown  and 
black — and  said  it  was  a  valuable  addition  to  his  p^cks. 
The  guide  attended  to  the  wound  in  a  manner  which 
secured  the  sufferer  almost  immediate  ease.  We  then 
resumed  our  journey,  and  within  three  days  reached  Rio 
Janeiro  again.  Our  sporting  expedition  had  not  been 
satisfactory,  but  we  agreed  that  the  forests  of  Brazil  were 
so  magnificent  that  they  well  repaid  the  visit  of  the  lover 
of  the  splendors  of  nature. 


CHAPTER  XV. 
BUENOS  AYRES.    HUNTING  ON  THE  PAMPAS. 

AFTER  getting  rid  of  our  Brazilian  guide,  who  was 
rather  troublesome  in  the  matter  of  remuneration,  we  ob- 
tained passage  on  board  of  a  small  British  barque,  secured 
all  our  effects,  including  horses  and  mules,  the  same 
transportation,  and  sailed  for  Buenos  Ayres.  The  voyage 
was  short  and  pleasant.  After  we  entered  the  mouth  of 
the  La  Plata,  we  had  a  fine  view  of  Monte  Video,  and  the 
varied  scenery  of  the  shores.  Still,  the  bay  of  Rio  Ja- 
neiro was  far  more  beautiful,  and,  after  viewing  it,  I  could 
not  feel  an  extraordinary  delight  in  the  scenery  of  the 
La  Plata.  At  length  we  came  in  sight  of  the  city  of 
Buenos  Ayres.  It  is  situated  on  the  southern  bank  of 
the  river,  about  two  hundred  miles  from  its  mouth.  Being 
raised  about  twenty  feet  above  the  water,  and  presenting 
the  spires  of  numerous  churches  and  convents,  it  makes 

(107) 


108  CITY  OF  BUENOS  AYRES. 

rather  a  fine  appearance.  There  were  a  large  number  of 
vessels  in  the  harbor,  giving  an  idea  of  the  extensive  trade 
of  the  city. 

When  we  landed,  we  found  the  wharves  covered  with 
heaps  of  hides,  the  chief  article  of  export.  People  in 
every  variety  of  costume,  from  that  of  an  official  dignitary 
to  that  of  the  Gauchos  of  the  Pampas^  and  the  tow  trowsers 
of  the  toiling  negro  were  to  be  seen ;  some  bustling  about, 
and  others  walking  along  leisurely,  as  if  this  world  had 
no  cares  for  them.  Farther  up  in  the  town,  at  least  two- 
thirds  of  those  who  were  in  the  streets  were  mounted  on 
horses,  some  of  which  were  noble-looking  animals. 

The  houses  were  built  of  brick,  white-washed,  and  with 
flat  roofs,  over  which  a  pleasant  and  even  extensive  pro- 
menade might  have  been  taken.  The  windows  were  pro- 
tected by  iron  bars,  causing  each  mansion  to  resemble  a 
lock-up  house,  and  forming,  indeed,  a  complete  fortifica- 
tion. Rosas,  then  the  iron-hearted  tyrant  of  Buenos 
Ayres,  resided  in  a  fortress  near  the  river,  which  had  been 
erected  for  the  old  Spanish  viceroys.  In  the  centre  of 
the  city,  is  the  Plaza,  or  great  square,  common  to  all 
towns  erected  by  the  Spaniards.  The  houses  surrounding 
it  were  very  handsome.  Besides  a  splendid  cathedral, 
the  city  could  then  boast  of  a  number  of  fine  churches  and 
monasteries.  The  environs  had  a  rather  monotonous 
aspect. 


THE  GUACHOS  OF  THE  PAMPAS.         109 

Mr.  Barrill  secured  lodgings,  at  a  tolerable  inn,  about 
equal  in  entertainment  to  the  lower  class  of  hotels  in  St. 
Louis.  His  first  object  was  to  secure  information  in  re- 
gard to  the  dangers  of  the  Pampas,  so  as  to  be  prepared 
for  them.  The  next  was  to  obtain  the  service  of  a  njative 
acquainted  with  the  country.  He  first  applied  to  the 
landlord,  but  that  personage  either  had  not  the  requisite 
intelligence,  or  was  unable  to  communicate  it  satisfacto- 
rily; so  my  patron  visited  the  British  consul,  who  gave 
ample  answers  to  all  the  inquiries  of  his  countrymen,  and 
recommended  a  trustworthy  Gaucho,  who  had  been  in  his 
service,  named  Joaquin  Bunoz. 

The  reader  may  very  naturally  inquire  who  are  the 
people  called  Gauchos.  They  inhabit  the  wide  surface  of 
the  Pampas,  and  appropriate  the  herds  that  roam  over 
them.  Some  travellers  have  designated  them  as  downright 
savages.  But  they  are  often  of  respectable  birth,  and  ren- 
dered estimable  by  their  courage,  intelligence  and  integrity. 
The  Gaucho  is  at  once  the  most  active  and  the  most  in- 
dolent of  mortals.  He  will  scour  the  country  whole  days 
at  full  gallop,  breaking  wild  horses,  or  chasing  the  jaguar 
or  ostrich ;  but  once  alighted  and  seated  on  the  skeleton 
of  a  horse's  head,  nothing  can  induce  him  to  move.  He 
considers  it  a  degradation  to  set  his  foot  to  the  ground ; 
so  that,  notwithstanding  a  general  vigor  almost  preterna- 
tural, the  lower  limbs  are  weak  and  bowed,  and  he  is 

10 


110  JOAQUIN  BUNOZ. 

incapable  of  walking  to  any  distance.  His  dwelling  is  a 
mud  cottage,  with  one  apartment,  and  so  swarming  with 
insects,  that  in  summer  the  whole  family,  wrapped  in 
skins,  sleep  in  the  open  air.  All  round  is  a  desert,  with 
the  exception  of  the  corral,  or  circular  spot,  inclosed  hy 
stakes,  into  which  the  cattle  are  driven.  Neither  grain 
nor  vegetables  are  cultivated,  nor  is  the  cow  made  to  yield 
milk.  Beef  is  the  only  food,  and  it  is  roasted,  or  rather 
twisted,  on  large  spits,  stuck  in  the  floor,  in  a  slanting  di- 
rection, so  as  to  overhang  the  fire,  a  twist  being  from 
time  to  time  given,  to  expose  all  sides  of  the  meat  in  suc- 
cession. A  large  number  of  the  Gauchos  are  robbers, 
who  are  only  daunted  by  a  show  of  superior  force. 

Joaquin  Bunoz  had  all  the  qualities  of  the  Gaucho  in 
perfection.  He  was  short  and  thick-set,  with  bowed  legs. 
His  face  was  frank,  fearless,  and  intelligent.  His  hair 
was  long,  black,  and  straight,  in  keeping  with  his  pierc- 
ing black  eyes  and  heavy  moustache.  His  costume  re- 
sembled greatly  that  of  the  Calif ornian  muleteer,  but  was 
much  more  gaudily  decorated.  He  prided  himself  upon 
three  things ;  the  rich  saddle  and  bridle  of  his  horse ;  his 
skill  in  throwing  the  lasso,  and  his  luck  at  gaming — the 
leading  vice  throughout  South  America.  By  his  advice, 
we  armed  ourselves  as  completely  as  possible — having  a 
rifle  a  piece  in  reserve.  He  condemned  our  horses,  but 
Mr.  Barrill  thought  proper  to  retain  them. 


START  FOR  THE  PAMPAS.  Ill 

We  started  with  thrilling  hopes  of  sport  for  the  Pam- 
pas— those  vast  plains  of  which  we  had  heard  so  much. 
Buenos  Ayres  was  soon  left  far  behind,  and  we  found  our- 
selves riding  across  a  plain,  which,  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach,  appeared  to  be  covered  with  clover  and  thistles. 
Joaquin  informed  us  that  the  plain  continued  of  this  cha 
racter  for  about  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  from  Bue- 
nos Ayres.  There  are  no  regular  roads  across  the  Pampas, 
although  they  are  so  much  travelled.  There  are  carriage 
routes,  upon  which  mud  huts,  called  posts,  are  stationed, 
about  twenty  miles  apart.  But  the  country  is  so  inter- 
sected with  rivers,  streams,  and  marshes,  that  progress  is 
difficult  in  any  kind  of  a  vehicle. 

Joaquin  contrived  to  keep  us  within  a  few  miles  of  the 
most  common  route.  The  advantage  of  this  was  that  we 
were  seldom  far  from  the  huts  of  the  Gauchos,  who  might 
have  aided  us  against  the  attacks  of  robbers  or  Indians. 
The  latter  are  very  warlike,  and  have  a  hereditary  hos- 
tility to  the  Gauchos,  and,  indeed,  to  all  whites.  They 
even  excel  the  Gauchos  in  horsemanship,  which  is  the 
highest  praise  that  can  be  given  them.  As  they  gene- 
rally go  abroad  in  large  parties  these  attacks  are  greatly 
dreaded. 

During  our  first  day  upon  the  Pampas,  we  saw  immense 
herds  of  horses  and  cattle,  but  as  Mr.  Barrill  and  I  had 
Deheld  the  bufialos  upon  the  prairies,  we  were  not  so  much 


112  LASSOOING  WILD  ANIMALS. 

astonished  as  our  Gaucho  guide  desired  us  to  be.  Joaquin 
easily  detected  those  which  belonged  to  particular  Gauchos 
by  the  marks  upon  them ;  and  these  we  took  care  to  avoid. 
But  enough  remained  to  furnish  abundant  exercise  for 
the  lasso.  The  skill  displayed  by  Joaquin  in  throwing 
the  lasso  astonished  me,  and  yet  I  considered  myself  an 
adept  in  using  it.  Our  lassos  were  made  of  strong  platted 
thongs  of  green  hide,  about  forty  feet  in  length,  with  an 
iron  ring  at  one  end,  forming  a  running  noose,  the  other 
end  being  fixed  to  the  saddle-girth.  When  Joaquin  was 
about  to  seize  an  animal,  he  whirled  the  noose  with  a  por- 
tion of  the  thong  horizontally  around  his  head,  holding 
the  rest  of  the  lasso  coiled  up  in  his  left  hand  ;  and  when 
near  enough  to  the  object,  and  the  precise  point  of  its 
rotation,  flung  off  the  noose,  which  never  failed  to  secure 
the  animal.  If  a  horse  it  invariably  fell  over  the  neck ; 
and  if  an  ox,  over  the  horns.  As  soon  as  the  Gaucho 
succeeded  in  his  aim,  he  suddenly  turned  his  horse,  which 
movement  set  his  legs  in  a  position  to  resist  successfully 
the  pull  of  the  entrapped  animal.  I  imitated  Joaquin 
rather  clumsily,  but  made  few  failures,  and  met  with  no 
accident.  Mr.  Barrill  was  not  so  successful.  On  one 
occasion,  he  threw  the  lasso  over  the  horns  of  a  large  ox ; 
but  neglecting  to  turn  his  horse  quickly  into  the  proper 
position,  he  was  pulled  to  the  ground,  and  severely  bruised. 
Joaquin,  however,  secured  the  animal  by  a  skilful  throw, 


ANNOYANCES  OF  THE  CAMP.  113 

nearly  at  the  moment  when  my  patron  reached  the  ground. 
A  little  practice  enabled  Mr.  Barrill  to  overcome  his 
deficiencies,  and  he  was  soon  my  rival  in  dexterity. 

The  chase  of  the  wild  cattle  and  horses  was  very  ex- 
citing, and  the  rewards  more  than  proportionate  to  the 
difficulty  and  danger.  We  fared  sumptuously  upon  beef, 
very  little  inferior  to  buffalo  meat,  and  the  tongues  were 
excellent.  The  hides  we  gave  as  propitiatory  offerings 
to  the  wandering  Gauchos  whom  we  encountered.  Most 
of  these  people  seemed  disposed  to  be  friendly  and  peace- 
able ;  but  we  met  two  or  three  small  parties,  to  whom  we 
thought  proper  to  make  a  show  of  our  force.  They  sa- 
luted us,  eyed  our  arms,  shook  their  heads,  and  rode  away, 
with  the  speed  of  the  wind.  Our  Gaucho  guide  was  very 
useful  to  us  during  these  encounters,  as  he  had  a  high 
reputation  for  courage  and  determination.  He  also  ren- 
dered his  services  extremely  valuable  in  breaking  several 
splendid  horses  for  us.  They  were  beautifully  spotted, 
and  of  great  speed  and  strength. 

Our  encampment  at  night  would  have  been  pleasant 
enough,  but  for  two  great  annoyances,  viz :  the  immense 
number  of  insects,  which  buzzed  around  our  ears  and  bit 
us  severely,  and  the  thundering  tramp  of  the  wild  herds 
across  the  plains.  The  danger  of  a  general  stampede 
of  the  animals  around  the  camp  is  very  imminent.  On 
one  occasion  we  came  near  losing  them. 

10* 


114  A  STAMPEDE. 

About  an  hour  after  the  usual  time  to  secure  the  horses 
for  the  night,  an  indistinct  sound  arose  like  the  mutter- 
ing of  distant  thunder ;  as  it  came  nearer  it  resemhled  the 
lashing  of  a  heavy  surf  upon  a  heach.  On  and  on  it 
rolled  towards  us,  and,  partly  from  my  own  hearing  and 
partly  from  the  confused  communication  of  Joaquin,  I 
conjectured  it  must  be  the  fierce  gallop  of  thousands  of 
panic-stricken  horses.  As  this  living  torrent  drew  nigh, 
our  horses  and  mules  began  to  snort,  prick  up  their  ears 
and  tremble.  Each  of  us  seized  his  rifle  and  fired  to 
change  the  course  of  the  herd.  We  succeeded  so  far  as 
to  retain  our  mules  and  three  horses ;  but  as  the  herd 
dashed  furiously  past  us,  in  full  charge,  five  fine  horses, 
which  Joaquin  had  broken,  were  carried  away,  and  we  never 
saw  them  again.  However,  we  were  well  satisfied  with 
our  good  fortune  in  escaping  this  tremendous  onset,  and 
slept  very  well  after  we  had  secured  our  remaining  animals, 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

LIFE  ON  THE  PAMPAS.    RETURN  TO  BUENOS  AYRES. 
SET  SAIL  FOR  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE. 

AFTER  passing  through  the  plain,  covered  with  clover 
and  thistles,  we  arrived  at  the  second  portion  of  the  Pam- 
pas, a  level  covered  with  long  grass,  and  extending  about 
four  hundred  and  fifty  miles.  In  the  middle  of  summer, 
the  heat  is  intense  upon  the  plain ;  but  it  was  now  No- 
vember, and  the  weather  was  tolerably  pleasant.  We 
continued  to-  see  vast  herds  of  cattle  and  horses ;  but  few 
other  animals  of  any  size. 

We  had  journeyed  but  about  two  days  and  a  half  among 
this  high  grass,  when  Joaquin  detected  the  fresh  trail  of 
Indians.  How  he  became  aware  of  the  precise  nature  of 
the  trail  I  was  unable  to  perceive?  although  I  had  consi- 
derable skill  in  the  same  way.  The  traces  to  which  he 
directed  our  attention,  were  simply  marks  of  horses's 
hoofs,  which,  to  my  mind,  might  have  been  made  by  a 

(115) 


116  DANGERS  OF  THE  PAMPAS. 

party  of  Gauchos,  as  well  as  by  Indians.  But  Joaquin 
insisted  that  they  were  Indians,  and  we  were  compelled 
to  yield.  We  then  scoured  the  plain  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach,  but  even  the  Gaucho  could  see  nothing  of 
our  dreaded  enemies.  He  shook  his  head,  however,  and 
remarked  gravely — 

"  The  darkness  will  render  them  visible  to  you." 
We  rode  on,  changing  the  direction  of  our  journey  some- 
what, and,  at  dusk,  when  I  supposed  we  were  at  least  fifteen 
miles  from  the  spot  where  Joaquin  had  descried  the  In- 
dian trail,  we  halted  on  the  bank  of  a  sparkling  rivulet, 
and  following  the  directions  of  the  guide,  constructed  our 
camp,  with  an  eye  to  its  defence.  In  this  my  own  know- 
ledge was  of  much  utility.  Our  packs  were  so  arranged, 
as  to  afford  us  a  slight  shelter,  wjien  we  stooped ;  but  this 
only  served  for  one  side  of  the  camp — a  line  of  about  ten 
feet.  I  then  suggested  that  we  should  throw  up  breast- 
works of  sod  upon  the  other  three  sides,  and  as  no  other 
mode  of  defence  could  be  devised,  the  suggestion  was  ap- 
proved. No  time  was  to  be  lost.  Hatchets  and  knives 
were  brought  into  play.  The  work  was  slow  and  difficult, 
and  even  my  hard  arms  began  to  tire  before  one  side  of 
the  breastwork  was  complete.  However,  we  toiled  steadily, 
like  men  who  knew  that  life  was  at  stake,  and  by  the 
light  of  the  camp-fire  we  finished  quite  a  neat  little  for- 
tress. The  animals  were  then  hobbled,  so  that  they 


AN  ALARM.  117 

could  not  be  disturbed  without  giving  us  notice  of  their 
danger. 

The  night  was  very  gloomy.  Occasionally  the  stars 
peeped  out  of  windows  in  the  gloomy  ceiling  of  clouds,  but 
we  depended  almost  entirely  on  our  fire  for  a  light  by  which 
to  catch  a  glimpse  of  surrounding  objects.  The  keen-eyed 
Gaucho  stood  as  sentinel,  while  Mr.  Barrill  and  myself 
cooked  the  meat ;  and,  when  we  commenced  eating,  he 
took  his  share  to  eat  while  continuing  his  guard. 

Suddenly  he  jumped  over  the  breastwork  and  trench, 
and  put  his  ears  to  the  ground.  Then  springing  up,  he 
pointed  in  the  direction  from  which  he  heard  a  sound 
to  come,  and  exclaimed — 

"  They  come  !  they  come  !" 

Then  another  noise  in  an  opposite  direction  seemed  to 
catch  his  ear,  for  he  leaped  over  the  breastwork  on  the 
other  side,  and  put  his  ear  to  the  ground.  Then,  spring- 
ing up,  he  swore  a  terrible  oath,  and  announced  that 
another  party  was  in  full  gallop  towards  us,  from  that 
direction.  He  then  entered  the  camp.  We  drew  our 
animals  as  close  to  the  breastwork  as  we  could ;  then  pre- 
pared our  ammunition  and  arms  for  rapid  use,  and  awaited 
the  attack,  determined,  yet  scarcely  hoping  to  make  a 
successful  defence. 

The  parties  seemed  to  be  approaching  at  about  the 
same  speed.  Nearer  and  nearer  they  came,  and  my  heart, 


118   BATTLE  BETWEEN  THE  INDIANS  AND  GAUCHOS. 

at  least,  beat  quicker  than  usual.  But  I  had  faced  death 
in  its  most  terrible  forms  too  often  to  flinch  in  such  a 
situation.  I  was  fully  prepared  to  send  some  of  our  ene- 
mies to  their  grand  trial  in  another  world.  Nearer  and 
nearer  they  came,  and  louder  and  louder  grew  the  sounds 
of  their  gallop,  till  the  light  of  our  fire  showed  us  the 
front  of  both  parties.  They  discovered  each  other  at 
the  same  time — and  with  terrific  yells  turned  from  us  to 
engage  in  combat.  Joaquin  fairly  yelled  with  joy — one 
party  consisted  of  Araucanian  Indians — the  other  of  their 
deadliest  foes — the  robber  Gauchos.  They  had  encoun- 
tered while  bent  upon  the  same  predatory  errand.  They 
met  in  full  charge,  and  the  shock  was  tremendous.  Horses 
reeled  and  fell.  Rifles  were  discharged,  and  we  could 
see  the  glimmer  of  the  lances  used  by  the  Araucanians. 

What  course  were  we  to  pursue  ?  Mr.  Barrill  thought 
that  flight  during  the  battle  would  be  our  best  resource. 
But  Joaquin  suggested  what  he  felt  convinced  would  be 
the  better  course : — To  mount  our  horses  and  charge  the 
Indians  in  the  rear — help  to  defeat  them  and  gain  the 
good  will  of  the  Gauchos,  who,  in  the  meantime,  seemed 
to  be  getting  the  worst  of  the  conflict.  I  was  delighted 
with  the  proposition.  In  a  moment  we  were  mounted ; 
and,  rifle  in  hand,,  we  raised  a  tremendous  shout,  and 
dashed  upon  the  rear  of  the  astonished  Indians.  A  short, 
fierce  struggle  ensued,  and  then  the  few  surviving  In- 


MAKE  PRESENTS  TO  THE  GAUCHO  CHIEF.  119 

dians  scampered  away  over  the  plains,  leaving  the  field  to 
the  Gauchos,  who  raised  a  yell  of  triumph  which  had  an 
infernal  sound  to  our  ears. 

Joaquin  now  sought  the  chief  of  the  party,  explained 
to  him  our  situation,  and  the  great  service  we  had  rendered 
him — and  expressed  a  hope  that  no  violence  was  intended 
to  such  good  friends.  The  chief  promised  that  not  one  of 
our  little  party  should  be  injured,  but  wished  to  see  what  we 
had  in  camp.  He  behaved  very  politely  before  Mr.  Barrill 
and  myself,  and  hoped  we  had  had  a  fine  journey.  We 
showed  him  our  packs,  while  his  party  were  engaged  in 
attending  their  wounded,  killing  the  wounded  Arauca- 
nians,  and  appropriating  whatever  was  valuable  about  the 
slain  horses  and  their  savage  masters.  They  contained 
nothing  to  tempt  his  bump  of  acquisitiveness,  but  our 
arms  caused  his  eyes  to  brighten.  Mr.  Barrill  saw  which 
way  his  thoughts  ran,  and  happily  anticipated  him,  by 
presenting  him  with  a  pair  of  handsome  pistols,  to  which 
I  added  a  Colt's  revolver,  the  use  of  which  Joaquin  glibly 
elucidated.  With  this  latter  present,  the  chief  seemed 
overjoyed.  Calling  some  of  the  Gauchos,  he  told  of  the 
presents  we  had  made  him,  and  bade  them  all  remember 
that  not  a  hair  of  our  heads  was  to  be  touched.  They 
assented,  some  of  them,  I  thought,  rather  sullenly. 

It  was  now  ascertained  that  but  two  Gauchos  had  been 
killed  and  three  wounded,  while  twelve  Indians  had  been 


120  THE  RETURN  JOURNEY. 

killed  in  the  fight,  and  four  dispatched  afterwards ;  nei- 
ther of  these  belligerent  tribes  recognized  such  a  thing  as 
quarter.  The  wounded  Gauchos  were  attended  to  roughly, 
but  with  some  skill.  A  great  fire  was  then  kindled  on  the 
space  cleared,  near  the  bank  of  the  stream,  so  that  the 
grass  could  not  catch  the  blaze,  and  the  party,  then  num- 
bering about  twenty,  sat  around,  took  out  some  beef,  ate, 
compared  notes  of  the  fight,  grinned  at  us,  and  examined 
what  they  had  taken  from  the  Indians. 

The  chief  sat  down  with  us,  around  the  fire,  within  the 
breastwork,  at  which  he  could  not  but  express  his  con- 
tempt, and  chatted  with  Joaquin  and  Mr.  Barrill  till  the 
break  of  day.  He  then  bade  us  adieu,  mounted  his  horse, 
summoned  his  men,  and  in  a  few  moments,  the  robber 
.band  was  scampering  away  across  the  plain. 

Congratulating  ourselves  upon  our  escape,  we  imme- 
diately held  a  sort  of  council  of  war  in  regard  to  our  fu- 
ture course.  Mr.  Barrill  broached  the  idea  of  our  re- 
turning to  Buenos  Ayres.  He  expressed  himself  satis- 
fied with  what  he  had  seen  and  enjoyed  of  life  on  the 
Pampas,  and  said  that  to  proceed  farther  would  only  be 
to  encounter  great  dangers  to  no  purpose.  I  agreed  with 
him,  not  because  I  was  under  his  patronage,  but  because 
the  counsel  was  wise.  Joaquin  murmured,  but  the  debate 
was  decided  in  favor  of  the  return. 

Before  sunrise,  we  had  taken  the  trail  leading  back  to 


RETURN  TO  BUENOS  AYRES.          121 

Buenos  Ayres.  The  details  of  this  return  journey  are 
not  worth  recording.  We  had  excellent  sport  in  hunting, 
good  living,  and,  made  a  trip  without  stoppages.  We 
arrived  at  Buenos  Ayres  without  any  accident  of  import- 
ance, and  every  thing  considered,  in  good  condition. 
Joaquin  then  received  a  handsome  reward  for  his  faithful 
services,  and  bade  us  adieu. 

During  a  week  after  our  return,  we  rested,  and  had 
leisure  to  observe  the  city  and  the  citizens.  I  was  not 
greatly  pleased  with  this  town.  In  my  opinion,  Rio  Ja- 
neiro is  a  much  more  desirable  place  of  residence.  In 
the  meantime,  Mr.  Barrill  secured  passage  in  a  British 
ship,  employed  in  the  China  trade,  intending  to  make  the 
Cape  of  Good  Hope  his  next  sporting  scene.  At  the  ex- 
piration of  a  week,  we  sailed.  Horses  and  mules  had 
been  sold  at  a  cheap  rate ;  but  our  weapons  and  packs, 
with  many  additions  of  Gaucho  costume  and  natural 
curiosities  of  Buenos  Ayres,  were  shipped  with  us.  The 
vessel  sailed,  and  during  the  long  days  of  that  voyage  to 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  Mr.  Barrill  and  I  had  plenty  of 
time  to  talk  over  our  hunting  expeditions  in  South 
America. 


11 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

ARRIVAL  AT  THE  CAPE  OF  GOOD  HOPE.  START  ON 
A  HUNTING  EXPEDITION  INTO  THE  INTERIOR 
OF  AFRICA. 

THE  voyage  through  the  South  Sea,  was  the  most  pleasant 
I  had  yet  enjoyed.  Yet  I  was  not  sorry  when  we  ap- 
proached Table  Bay,  and  when  we  came  in  sight  of  Table 
Mountain,  which  looms  up  just  behind  Cape  Town,  my  heart 
fairly  bounded  with  delight.  Mr.  Ban-ill's  account  of  the 
hunting  region  of  South  Africa  had  fired  my  imagination, 
and  I  longed  to  meet  the  lion,  the  elephant,  and  the  rhi- 
noceros, upon  their  native  plains. 

Table  Bay,  the  harbor  of  Cape  Town,  is  capable  of  con- 
taining the  navies  of  the  world.  It  is  generally  safe, 
but  during  the  months  of  June,  July,  and  August,  it  is 
exposed  to  a  heavy  swell  from  the  west.  A  wooden  jetty 
projects  for  half  a  furlong  into  the  bay  from  the  east  end 
(122) 


CAPE  TOWN.  123 

of  the  town,  near  the  castle,  alongside  of  which  ships  dis- 
charge or  take  in  their  cargoes.  I  judged  from  the  num- 
ber of  large  vessels  along  this  great  pier  that  the  com- 
merce of  the  town  was  rather  extensive.  Several  large 
men-of-war  were  anchored  in  the  bay. 

Cape  Town  presents  a  beautiful  appearance  from  the 
bay — the  mountain  forming  a  fine  back  ground.  It  is 
regularly  laid  out,  and  contains  several  good  squares.  Its 
streets,  which  are  straight  and  wide,  cross  each  other  at 
right  angles,  many  of  them  being  watered  by  canals,  and 
planted  on  either  side  with  trees,  in  the  Dutch  fashion. 
The  houses,  mostly  of  brick  or  red  granite,  are  flat-roofed 
and  chiefly  white,  with  green  windows.  They  are  spacious 
and  convenient,  having  an  elevated  terrace,  here  called  a 
stock,  in  front,  and  small  gardens  behind,  usually  with  a 
treillage  covered  with  vines.  Upon  the  shore  at  the 
eastern  extremity  of  the  town,  is  the  castle,  a  pentagonal 
fortress  of  considerable  strength,  having  outworks  which 
command  both  the  bay  and  the  roads  to  the  country.  On 
the  west  side  of  the  town,  Table  Bay  is  defended  by  four 
batteries,  placed  round  and  on  the  hill,  called  the  Lion's 
Rump.  On  the  east  side,  the  town  is  protected  by  forti- 
fied lines  of  defence.  The  principal  public  buildings  are 
the  government  house,  with  extensive  gardens,  the  burgher 
senate  house,  barracks,  and  commercial  exchange.  Cape 
Town  is  the  capital  of  the  colony. 


124  ENGAGE  HOTTENTOT  SERVANTS. 

On  landing,  Mr.  Barrill  expressed  his  surprise  at 
the  appearance  of  bustle  and  gaiety.  We  afterwards  as- 
certained that  British  residents  in  India  frequently  resort 
to  the  Cape  for  their  health,  and  their  presence  greatly 
adds  to  the  life  of  the  town.  We  found,  however,  that 
the  greater  number  of  the  inhabitants  were  either  Dutch 
or  descendants  from  that  people,  once  the  owners  of  this 
valuable  colony. 

Mr.  Barrill  was  acquainted  with  some  government  offi- 
cials at  the  town,  and  to  these  he  applied  to  ascertain 
where  he  could  get  the  best  entertainment.  They  esta- 
blished us  without  much  ceremony  in  their  own  quarters. 
Having  resolved  to  be  off  to  the  interior  of  the  country 
as  soon  as  he  could  make  a  complete  outfit,  Mr.  Barrill 
sought  a  person  who  could  give  him  the  necessary  infor- 
mation in  regard  to  the  articles  needed.  He  was  referred 
to  a  trader,  named  Williams.  Following  the  directions 
of  that  experienced  individual,  he  purchased  two  large 
cap-tent  wagons ;  twenty-five  oxen,  well-trained  for 
draught,  and  four  horses,  bred  by  the  Dutch  Boers.  Three 
young  Hottentots,  named  Oarollus,  Brutus,  and  Malic, 
were  engaged  as  drivers,  and  to  perform  various  kinds  of 
service.  They  were  active  and  intelligent,  but,  I  thought, 
rather  stubborn  and  sulky.  The  stock  of  provisions  and 
necessary  articles,  such  as  cooking  utensils,  pocket-knives, 
axes,  hatchets,  camping  materials,  &c.,  was  so  extensive 


PROCEED  TO  THE  INTERIOR.  125 

that  I  thought  we  could  have  set  up  two  or  three  traders 
in  business.  Mr.  Williams  said  that  we  would  want  other 
ordnance  besides  our  American  rifles  and  pistols.  He 
recommended  that  we  should  get  at  least  two  double-bar- 
relled guns,  such  as  the  Boers  used,  and  Mr.  Barrill  fol- 
lowed the  recommendation.  Our  stock  of  ammunition 
was  extensive  and  various. 

Having  completed  our  arrangements,  we  left  Cape 
Town  early  in  October.  The  train  had  a  very  clumsy 
appearance,  but  we  proceeded  at  a  tolerably  rapid  rate, 
and  the  very  first  day  of  our  journey  succeeded  in  accom- 
plishing fifteen  miles  from  the  Cape  capital.  "We  had 
more  trouble  with  our  Hottentots  than  with  our  teams, 
especially  about  the  time  to  encamp,  when  Carollus 
seemed  disposed  to  every  thing  but  that  which  he  was 
ordered  to  do ;  and  neither  of  them  could  be  bribed  to 
hurry. 

Mr.  Barrill  determined  to  proceed  as  directly  as  pos- 
sible to  the  region  of  the  sport.  We  travelled  steadily 
every  day — passing  numerous  farms  of  Dutch  boers, 
which  presented  a  curious  appearance.  Most  of  the 
farmers  had  vast  herds  of  cattle  and  horses,  and  I  judged 
that,  as  a  class,  they  were  very  wealthy.  They  were  ge- 
nerally sociable  and  hospitable.  At  length  we  reached 
the  Great  Fish  river,  which  was  forded  with  much  diffi- 
culty. Soon  afterwards,  however,  we  entered  upon  the 

11*' 


126  CHASING  THE  OSTRICH. 

great  plains,  and  for  the  first  time  were  gratified  with  a 
sight  of  those  beautiful  antelopes,  known  as  springboks, 
which  are  generally  diffused  throughout  South  Africa. 

The  next  morning,  Mr.  Barrill  and  I  mounted  our 
horses,  and  as  the  wagons  drove  on,  kept  on  the  flanks, 
looking  out  for  a  chance  to  chase  the  springbok.  A  herd 
soon  appeared,  and  away  we  fiew  in  chase.  But  after  a 
long  run  in  pursuit  of  animals,  and  the  expense  of  con- 
siderable ammunition,  we  returned  to  the  train  without 
the  satisfaction  of  having  even  inflicted  a  wound.  Next 
day,  however,  we  were  more  successful,  and  two  fine 
springboks  rewarded  a  long  and  exciting  chase.  We  con- 
tinued to  advance  towards  the  interior,  and  soon  left  the 
homes  of  the  hunter  Boers  behind.  Every  day  game 
became  more  abundant,  and  I  was  absolutely  overwhelmed 
with  astonishment  at  its  variety.  The  large  animal  be- 
tween the  antelope  and  the  cow,  called  the  wildebeest, 
was  abundant.  We  shot  two;  but  the  meat  was  pro- 
nounced decidedly  inferior  to  that  of  the  springbok. 

One  day  about  noon,  as  we  were  going  to  encamp,  we 
caught  sight  of  four  ostriches,  the  first  I  had  ever  beheld. 
Mr.  Barrill  and  I  were  soon  in  full  chase.  These  enormous 
birds  ran  with  amazing  celerity,  and  after  a  very  tire- 
some ride  we  were  compelled  to  yield ;  they  got  away 
unscathed.  I  was  extremely  disappointed,  being  so  anx- 
ious to  secure  some  of  the  beautiful  feathers  of  the  ostrich. 


HUNTING  THE  SPRINGBOK.  127 

However  the  immense  herds  of  the  springbok  which  now 
began  to  cover  the  plain  afforded  us  splendid  rifle-shoot- 
ing. We  were  very  successful  in  still  hunting  for  these 
animals.  Concealing  ourselves  in  the  bushes — we  ob- 
tained opportunities  for  singling  out  the  best  ones,  and 
bringing  them  down.  This  kind  of  sport  so  elated  me, 
that  I  began  to  feel  as  if  J  could  spend  the  rest  of  mj 
days  in  these  magnificent  hunting-grounds.  But  I  had 
yet  to  see  their  animal  wonders — to  witness  the  march  of 
the  elephant — the  majestic  port  of  the  grim  lion — the 
noble  beauty  of  the  giraffe.  The  grandest  sporting 
treasures  of  South  Africa  were  yet  before  me. 


v 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

EXCITING  CHASE  OF  THE  GEMSBOK.  BEAUTY  OF 
ORANGE  RIVER.  CHASE  OF  THE  RHINOCEROS. 
CHASE  OF  AN  ELEPHANT. 

OUR  Hottentots  gave  us  promise  of  glorious  sport  in 
hunting  a  species  of  antelope,  called  the  oryx,  or  gemsbok. 
We  soon  emerged  upon  a  broad,  arid  plain,  where  these 
animals  were  known  to  abound,  and  after  travelling  about 
five  miles  over  this  most  desolate  tract,  we  encamped  not 
far  from  a  vley,  or  pool,  where  the  game  drank..  This 
pool  was  about  two  hundred  yards  in  breadth.  One  side 
presented  patches  of  grass,  the  bright  green  of  which  was 
very  refreshing  to  the  eye,  which  had  been  gazing  for 
miles  upon  the  desert  plains.  Flocks  of  wild  geese,  ducks, 
and  cranes,  enlivened  the  spot  with  their  fluttering  and 
cackling.  The  other  side  was  bare,  and  trampled  hard 
by  the  feet  of  wild  animals  which  resorted  to  the  pool  to 
quench  their  thirst. 
(128) 


PROCEED  TO  THE  CHASE.  129 

There  were  no  trees  in  the  vicinity  of  the  vley.  Our 
camp  was  formed  among  some  low  bushes ;  and  after  en- 
joying a  hearty  meal,  we  began  preparations  for  hunting 
the  gemsbok  next  day.  The  two  best  horses  were  abun- 
dantly supplied  with  forage.  Mr.  Barrill  and  I  spent 
some  hours  in  cleaning  our  rifles,  and  our  powder-flasks 
and  bullet-pouches  were  well-stocked.  When  we  stretched 
ourselves  for  repose,  beside  our  scanty  fire,  it  was  not  to 
sleep  soundly.  Morpheus  himself  must  have  caught  our 
sporting  enthusiasm — for,  instead  of  treating  us  to  his 
potion  of  forgetfulness,  he  caused  us  to  hunt  the  gemsbok 
in  the  land  of  dreams ;  so  that  when  we  arose  before  the 
peep  of  day  each  had  a  tale  of  most  successful  sport  to 
tell,  as  a  stimulant  to  a  persevering  chase. 

The  dawn  saw  us  in  our  saddles  and  away  over  the  plain, 
Carollus  following  with  some  provision  for  our  refresh- 
ment, in  case  of  the  hunt  keeping  us  too  long  from  camp. 
The  morning  was  clear  and  pleasant,  and  I  felt  in  the  best 
humor  for  exercise.  As  the  dazzling  sun  showed  a  bril- 
liant line  where  the  sky  kissed  the  plain,  in  the  east,  we 
reached  a  little  hillock,  which  commanded  a  view  of  the  sur- 
rounding scenery.  There  I  dismounted,  and  from  the 
summit  of  the  elevation  examined  the  country  in  search 
of  game.  I  was  fortunate ;  for,  before  Mr.  Barrill  could 
join  me,  I  discovered,  at  about  a  distance  of  a  quarter  of 
a  mile,  in  a  hollow  between  two  hillocks,  a  herd  of  twenty 


130  HUNTING  THE  UEMSBOK. 

animals,  which  from  the  description  I  had  heard,  I  knew 
to  be  gemsboks.  As  soon  as  Mr.  Barrill  joined  me,  and 
was  gratified  with  a  view  of  the  game,  I  suggested  a  plan 
of  attack :  while  we  rode  circuitously  a  long  distance  to 
the  windward  of  the  herd,  Carollus  was  to  give  chase  and 
bring  them  within  reach  of  our  leaden  death.  Mr.  Barrill 
approved  the  plan,  and  away  we  rode.  At  the  distance 
of  about  half  a  mile,  we  halted  in  a  good  position  for  ob- 
taining a  shot ;  and  presently  we  were  excited  by  the 
shouting  of  the  Hottentot,  and  the  rapid  tramp  of  the 
pursued  gemsboks.  They  came  within  two  hundred  yards 
of  us ;  but  just  as  we  were  about  to  charge  and  fire  among 
them,  they  scented  our  proximity,  turned  and  fled  in  a 
direction  at  a  right  angle  with  their  former  course.  Then 
began  the  most  thrilling  chase  for  game  in  which  I  had 
yet  engaged.  Mr.  Barrill  and  I  kept  nearly  abreast, 
while  riding  at  full  speed.  At  the  end  of  about  three 
miles,  I  shot  ahead,  reached  the  herd,  and  gave  a  beauti- 
ful cow  a  death  wound  behind  the  shoulder,  tumbling 
her  upon  the  plain. 

Mr.  Barrill  shouted,  as  he  dashed  past  me  in  chase  of 
the  remainder  of  the  herd.  Carollus  then  came  up,  and 
as  he  took  charge  of  the  slain  animal,  I  again  set  off  in 
pursuit  of  this  splendid  game.  The  herd  and  Mr.  Barrill 
were  more  than  half  a  mile  ahead  when  I  saw  him  fire, 
and  a  gemsbok  fall.  He  did  not  stop  a  moment,  but 


HUNTING  THE  GEMSBOK.  131 

loading  rapidly  as  he  rode,  pressed  forward  in  chase. 
He  was  just  preparing  for  another  shot  when  his  horse 
stumbled  and  fell.  This  accident  hurt  neither  horse  nor 
rider,  but  only  enabled  me  to  pass  them,  and  kill  an  old 
bull  that  lagged  behind  the  herd.  My  horse  now  showed 
signs  of  distress.  We  had  not  proceeded  far,  but  the  ground 
was  so  undermined  by  colonies  of  meir-cat  and  mouse- 
hunts,  that  the  horse's  feet  sunk  deep  at  every  step ;  so  I 
concluded  to  rest  satisfied  with  my  first  achievements  in 
the  way  of  gemsbok  hunting. 

Mr.  Barrill  had  gone  to  examine  the  animal  he  had 
killed,  and  I  had  now  leisure  to  do  the  same,  in  regard  to 
the  old  bull.  The  gemsbok  is  indeed  a  beautiful  animal. 
It  has  the  erect  mane,  long,  sweeping  black  tail,  and  ge- 
neral appearance  of  the  horse,  with  the  head  and  hoofs  of 
the  antelope.  It  is  robust  in  form,  squarely  and  firmly 
built,  and  very  imposing  in  its  bearing.  Its  height  is 
about  that  of  an  ass,  and  in  color  it  slightly  resembles 
that  animal.  Beautiful  black  bands  adorn  its  head,  giv- 
ing it  the  appearance  of  wearing  a  stall  collar.  The  rump 
and  thighs  are  painted  in  a  very  singular  manner.  The 
horns  are  long  and  straight.  I  ascertained  during  my  stay 
in  South  Africa,  that  the  gemsbok  is  the  swiftest  and  most 
enduring  of  all  the  animals  hunted  in  that  country. 

Following  the  directions  of  Mr.  Barrill,  who  desired  to 
make  as  large  a  collection  as  possible,  during  his  expedi- 


132  HUNTING  THE  ANTELOPE. 

tions,  1  cut  off  the  head  and  skinned  the.  bull ;  and  then 
cut  some  meat  from  the  rump  and  sides.  We  then  took  as 
much  as  we  could  convey  on  our  horses  of  the  trophies  of 
our  hunts,  rode  back  to  where  Carollus  was  skinning  the 
cow,  gave  him  directions  in  regard  to  cutting  off  the  head 
and  choice  meat,  and  then  returned  to  the  camp.  The  sun 
was  now  intensely  hot,  and  we  were  glad  to  seek  the  shade 
of  the  wagons.  When  the  meat  was  all  brought  in,  we 
did  our  best  in  the  way  of  cookery,  and  in  spite  of  my 
recollections  of  delicious  buffalo  "boudins,"  I  acknow- 
ledged to  Mr.  Barill  that  the  flesh  of  the  gemsbok  was 
incomparable  eating. 

For  three  days  we  remained  encamped  near  the  vley, 
enjoying  splendid  shooting  and  luxurious  feasts.  While 
here,  I  first  saw  the  gnoo,  or  horned  horse,  the  quagga, 
the  animal  called  the  hartebeest,  and  the  nests  of  the 
ostrich,  all  of  which  increased  my  anxiety  to  pass  all  my 
Bporting  days  in  South  Africa.  On  the  morning  of  the 
fourth  day  we  broke  up  the  camp,  and  advanced  in  the 
direction  of  Orange  river.  We  had  understood  that  this 
stream  was  one  of  the  glories  of  South  Africa.  The  route 
to  it  did  not  increase  our  faith  in  the  report.  *  For  many 
days  we  travelled  over  wild  and  desolate  plains,  where  it 
was  really  wonderful  how  animals  could  subsist.  But  the 
game  was  abundant  and  various.  Antelopes  of  several 
varieties,  wildebeests,  hartebeest?,  gnoos,  and  ostriches 


SOUTH  AFRICAN  SCENERY.  133 

thronged  in  this  seemingly  barren  region,  and  while  the 
dull  monotony  of  the  scenery  might  have  wearied  us, 
the  splendor  of  the  sport  afforded  an  exciting  relief. 

As  we  approached  the  Great  Orange  river,  the  country 
assumed  a  less  sterile  aspect,  and  when  we  reached  the 
stream,  the  beauty  of  the  scene  compensated  manifold  for 
the  desolation  through  which  we  had  passed.  Only  those 
who  have  travelled  through  a  desert,  beneath  a  blazing 
sun  for  weeks,  and  have  been  surprised  by  coming  upon  an 
oasis  of  verdure  can  appreciate  the  luxurious  feeling  «ve 
experienced  when  we  saw  the  crystal  water,  bordered  with 
groves  of  verdant  foliage  and  gorgeous  blossoms.  The 
breadth  of  the  river  was  about  three  hundred  yards.  As 
far  as  we  could  see,  the  banks  were  fringed  with  willows, 
the  branches  of  which,  yielding  to  the  music  of  the  breeze, 
now  dipped  in  the  stream  and  danced  upon  the  ripples, 
and  then,  threw  themselves  up,  scattering  showers  of  pearls 
from  each  leafy  tress.  Behind,  and  among  the  willows, 
we  could  see  the  golden  blossoms  of  the  mimosa,  and  the 
deep  green  of  the  oleander.  The  most  delicious  perfume 
filled  the  air.  Numerous  birds,  of  rainbow  plumage  and 
fluttering  melody,  flitted  among  the  foliage.  The  ground 
was  carpeted  with  emerald  grass,  decked  with  flowers  of 
every  hue  and  enchanting  fragrance. 

Riding  ahead  of  our  lumbering  wagons,  we  reached  the 
shade  of  the  groves  about  noon.  I  imagined  myself 

12 


134  CROSSING  THE  ORANGE  RIVER. 

entering  a  fairy-land.  Throwing  myself  from  my  almost 
enchanted  horse,  I  stood  upon  the  edge  of  the  stream,  to 
drink  in  the  splendor  of  the  scene,  and  then  stretched 
myself  under  the  cool  and  perfumed  shade  of  a  mimosa, 
to  luxuriate.  I  have  travelled  through  many  countries,  but 
never  have  I  beheld  a  scene  so  near  the  Eden  of  the 
imagination  as  the  verdured  banks  of  Orange  river. 

Mr.  Barrill  seemed  to  be  even  more  under  the  sweet 
influence  of  the  enchantment  than  myself.  Long  after  I 
had  lain  "down  and  given  my  mind  to  musing  upon  the 
contrasted  scenes  of  this  life,  he  stood  upon  the  edge  of 
the  rippling  water  as  if  spell-bound.  Then,  quickly  di- 
vesting himself  of  his  clothing,  he  plunged  into  the  stream, 
and  seemed  to  revel  in  the  coolness  of  its  crystal  waves. 

We  had  a  delightful  meal,  and  a  siesta  such  as  could 
be  enjoyed  nowhere  else.  We  then  turned  our  attention 
to  getting  across  the  river.  The  Hottentots  reported  the 
stream  fordable.  Before  attempting  to  cross,  we  were 
occupied  for  upwards  an  of  hour,  in  raising  the  goods  liable 
to  be  damaged  by  water,  by  means  of  a  platform,  con- 
structed of  green  willow  boughs,  with  which  we  filled  the 
bottom  of  the  wagons,  and  then  replaced  the  goods. 
Entering  the  stream,  we  found  the  drift  rather  rough 
and  the  wagons  were  jolted  about  in  no  very  agreeable 
way.  We  got  safely  through,  however,  and  having  pro- 
ceeded about  half  a  mile  up  the  opposite  bank,  encamped 


SOUTH  AFRICAN  SCENERY.  135 

in  the  midst  of  gorgeous  groves  of  mimosa.  That  night, 
as  the  silvery  moon  and  her  train  of  stars  appeared  in  the 
clear  blue  of  the  sky,  and  gave  *a  new  enchantment  to 
grove  and  river,  we  reveled  in  a  beauty  the  like  of  which 
we  never  expected  to  see  beyond  the  shores  of  Africa 

The  next  morning,  Mr.  Barrill  was  up  with  the  first  gleam 
of  the  dawn,  and  eager  for  the  chase.  "  Let  us  make 
good  use  of  our  time,  Perey,"  said  he,  enthusiastically,  "  for 
we  cannot  always  be  in  these  '  happy  hunting-grounds.'  " 
We  ate  a  hearty  meal,  a  cup  of  coffee  being  added  to  our 
luxuries,  and  then  mounted  Qur  horses.  Leaving  the 
groves  bordering  the  river,  we  struck  northward  to  an 
extensive  range  of  rocky  hills  that  walled  a  level  plain. 
These  eminences  were  so  strong  that  it  was  impossible  to 
ride  through  them.  They  were  covered  with  a  wild  growth 
of  rank  grass,  varied  by  dwarfish  branches.  Carollus  had 
accompained  us  as  after  rider,  and  we  left  him  in  charge 
of  the  horses,  while,  with  rifle  in  hand,  we  eagerly  tra- 
versed the  range  in  search  of  game. 

On  ascending  to  the  highest  summit,  we  had  a  grand 
panoramic  view  of  magnificent  scenery.  In  a  northerly 

and  easterly  direction,  a  succession  of  bold  lofty  mountains 

• 
extended  assuming  various  shapes  as  they  diminished  in 

the  distance.  Some  of  them  were  tabular,  but  others  of 
conical  and  pyramidal  shapes,  towered  above  their  fellows, 
their  steep  sides  standing  in  grand  relief  above  the  undu- 


136  SOUTH  AFRICAN  SCENERY. 

lations  of  the  plain.  We  were  disappointed  in  not  finding 
game,  and,  descending  the  ridge,  we  remounted  and  rode 
back  to  camp,  with  the  purpose  of  advancing  farther  into 
the  country. 

The  next  day  we  resumed  our  march.  The  plain  was 
covered  with  a  luxurious  carpet  of  grass.  Mountain 
ranges  bounded  the  view  on  every  side,  and  strips  of  mi- 
mosa forest  stretched  along  their  bases.  After  a  very 
pleasant  journey,  during  which  we  killed  several  beautiful 
antelopes,  we  reached  what  is  called  the  salt-pan,  an  oval 
basin,  the  bottom  of  which  is  usually  covered  with  salt, 
to  the  depth  of  two  or  three  inches.  In  the  vicinity  of 
this  curious  place  we  enjoyed  good  shooting,  among  herds 
of  antelopes,  for  several  days.  We  had  yet  seen  none  of 
the  great  game  of  South  Africa,  however,  and  we  there 
fore  marched  steadily  forward  to  the  region  in  which  it 
was  said  to  abound.  We  crossed  the  Vaal  river,  and  soon 
afterwards  reached  the  Eiet,  beyond  which  we  might  ex- 
pect to  find  the  monsters  of  the  plains.  The  people  we 
met,  who  were  called  Griquas,  were  friendly,  but  the  mise- 
rable Bushmen  kept  clear  of  our  rifles.  The  country  was 
diversified,  and  we  passed  through  many  scenes  which 
words  would  be  inadequate  to  describe. 

After  passing  the  Eiet  river  we  found  ourselves  in  the 
land  where  we  might  expect  our  sleep  to  be  startled  by 
the  roar  of  the  lion.  Three  days  afterwards  we  encamped 


HUNTING  THE  RHINOCER.OS.  137 

near  a  fountain,  where  the  wild  animals  were  accustomed 
to  drink,  and  then  prepared  for  the  anticipated  sport. 

The  next  morning  we  mounted  our  horses,  Carollus  being 
in  company  for  after  rider,  and  left  the  camp.  We  haa 
not  advanced  more  than  two  miles,  when  turning  abruptly 
around  the  base  of  a  low  hill,  we  found  ourselves  front  to 
front  with  a  monstrous  "black  animal,  having  two  horns 
upon  its  long  snout. 

"A  black  rhinoceros!"  shouted  Mr.  Barrill,  checking 
his  horse,  and,  I  thought,  turning  pale.  My  nerves  were 
unshaken,  and  as  the  huge  beast  had  fairly  discovered 
us,  I  aimed  at  its  shoulder  and  fired.  Mr.  Barrill  then 
followed  suit.  The  rhinoceros  was  struck  by  both  balls  ; 
but  it  made  a  tremendous  rush  towards  us,  and  we  fled 
rapidly.  Suddenly  the  monster  halted,  and,  as  we  checked 
our  steeds  and  prepared  our  rifles  for  another  shot,  it  fled 
and  was  pursued  in  turn.  Mr.  Barrill  knew  more  of  the  na- 
ture and  habits  of  the  animal  than  I,  for  he  had  conversed 
with  intelligent  hunters  upon  the  subject.  I  kept  in  the 
rear,  fearing  to  trust  my  horse  upon  the  side ;  but  Mr. 
Barrill  dashed  up,  and  gave  him  a  mortal  shot  behind  the 
shoulder.  I  repeated  the  dose,  and,  after  snorting  and 
blowing  dreadfully,  the  rhinoceros  turned  on  us  a  look  of 
intense  ferocity,  and  fell  dead  upon  the  plain. 

Here  was  a  triumph  !     Three  cheers  broke  from  us,  as 
the  animal  thundered  down.     We  quickly  dismounted, 

12* 


138  HUNTING  THE  RHINOCEROS. 

and  with  feelings  of  indescribable  exaltation  surveyed  oui 
prize.  It  proved  to  be  a  full  grown  specimen  of  the  black 
rhinoceros — the  largest  and  fiercest  of  its  kind — called 
by  the  natives — the  borele.  The  horns  were  about  eigh- 
teen inches  in  length,  and  finely  polished  by  continual 
rubbing  against  trees.  We  found  that  these  terrible  wea- 
pons were  not  connected  with  the  skull,  but  merely  at- 
tached with  the  skin,  and  we  separated  them  with  our 
knives.  Mr.  Barrill  considered  them  very  valuable.  The 
eyes  of  the  huge  beast  were  small,  and  so  set,  that,  it  was 
plain  to  me,  it  could  not  see  except  directly  in  front.  But 
the  most  curious  portion  of  the  animal  was  the  skin.  This 
covering  was  extremely  thick,  and  laid  in  folds  as  if  much 
too  large  for  the  body.  Each  rhinoceros  appears  to  have 
entered  the  skin  of  one  a  great  deal  more  bulky  than  it 
self.  Ordinary  bullets  will  not  penetrate  this  clumsy 
armor.  Mr.  Barrill  had  taken  the  precaution  before  leaving 
Cape  Town  to  provide  himself  with  bullets  hardened  with 
solder,  and  these  were  easily  driven  into  the  vitals  of  the 
animal. 

Elated  with  our  unexpected  success,  we  took  the  po- 
lished horns  and  a  large  piece  of  the  skin  of  the  rhino 
ceros,  and  returned  to  camp.  In  the  afternoon,  when  the 
heat  of  the  sun  had  somewhat  declined,  we  rode  out  in  the 
hope  of  shooting  game,  to  furnish  fresh  meat  for  our  even- 
ing meal.  Not  far  from  camp,  we  started  a  herd  of  ante- 


HUNTING  THE  ELEPHANT.  139 

*  lopes,  of  the  kind  called  blesbok,  and  away  we  went  in 
chase  at  full  speed.  The  fleet  animals  led  us  for  about 
three  miles  over  the  plain,  and  then  took  shelter  on  one 
side  of  a  rocky  ridge,  where  we  found  it  impossible  to 
cross.  Thus  were  we  completely  defeated ;  but  with  com- 
mendable resignation  we  immediately  turned  our  attention 
to  waking  up  other  game. 

Night  was  gradually  approaching,  •  flinging  long  sha- 
dows on  the  ground.  We  saw  no  antelope,  and  were  about 
to  take  the  return  track,  when  a  crashing  noise,  far  to  our 
right,  caused  us  to  check  our  horses.  What  a  sight  for 
our  bloods !  Beating  and  slashing  among  a  grove  of 
mimosa  were  two  elephants.  The  next  moment  revealed 
three,  and  the  next  four  of  these  lords  of  the  plains, 
evidently  full  grown.  I  need  not  attempt  to  say  with 
what  thrill  of  excitement  we  concerted  a  plan  of  at- 
tack. We  knew  it  was  a  venture  more  critical  than  any 
we  had  ever  yet  dared.  Encountering  the  ferocious 
grizzly  bear  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  was  comparatively 
safe.  But  we  were  determined  to  conquer  or  perish  in 
the  effort.  Briefly,  Mr.  Barrill,  who  had  gained  much 
information  in  regard  to  the  nature  and  habits  of  the 
elephant,  gave  me  instructions,  thus : — 

"  The  elephant  entertains  an  extraordinary  dread  of 
man,  and  is  therefore  difficult  to  approach.  Happily  we 
have  the  wind  in  our  favor,  and  so  may  get  close  enough 


140  HUNTING  THE  ELEPHANT. 

for  a  shot  bj  caution  and  good  riding.  Fire  the  halls  into  * 
them  just  behind  the  shoulder,  for  they  will  be  effective  no 
where  else*      They  will  not  charge  unless  enraged  by 
wounds,  and  then  you  must  spur  hard  and  dodge  skilfully 
from  the  right  track." 

Enough  said.  Our  rifles  were  examined.  Both  were 
double-barrelled,  and  we  now  increased  the  weight  of  their 
loads.  Then,  we  skirted  the  base  of  a  ridge  till  we  came 
within  about  four  hundred  yards  of  them,  when  they  dis- 
covered us,  and  dashed  away,  with  a  thrilling  trumpeting, 
and  crashing  tramp.  We  had  nothing  then  to  do  but 
to  spur  away  in  pursuit.  The  huge  beasts  ran  faster  than 
I  had  imagined  they  could.  But  our  steeds  were  fleet, 
and,  after  a  race  of  a  mile,  I  succeeded  in  getting  within 
a  hundred  yards  of  the  hindmost  elephant.  A  few  furious 
strokes  of  the  spur  then  threw  me  within  rifle-shot ;  and,  as 
I  dashed  a  little  upon  one  side  of  the  animal,  I  aimed  and 
fired.  I  missed  the  shoulder  but  broke  one  of  the  ele- 
phant's fore  legs.  This  wound  caused  him  to  lag  behind, 
and  Mr.  Barrill  and  I  were  soon  alongside,  firing  into  him 
at  our  leisure.  Suddenly  he  stopped  ;  turning  his  sharp 
tusks  first  to  one  side  then  to  the  other,  as  if  uncertain 
which  way  to  charge,  when,  receiving  the  brace  of  bullets 
in  his  vitals,  he  uttered  long  and  mournful  moans,  and, 
fell  dead  on  his  side,  the  shock  making  the  ground  tremble 
under  our  feet. 


RETURN  TO  CAMP.  141 

f  Exultant  from  this  great  victory,  we  quickly  dismounted 
to  examine  our  prize.  Mr.  Barrill  pronounced  it  a  full 
grown  bull  elephant.  The  tusks  were  about  five  feet  in 
length,  and  beautiful  specimens  of  ivory.  I  stood  in 
amazement  at  the  tremendous  proportions  of  the  animal, 
and  could  not  but  wonder  at  the  gift  of  puny  man,  who 
was  enabled  to  effect  so  easy  a  triumph  over  such  a  mon- 
ster of  strength.  The  skin  was  nearly  as  thick  as  that 
of  the  rhinoceros,  but  not  so  tough  ;  a  dozen  of  our  bullets 
had  penetrated  it ;  and  of  these,  at  least  three  had  en- 
tered the  vitals  of  the  elephant.  We  had  but  little  time 
for  an  examination.  The  twilight  was  deepening  into 
night,  and  we  had  a  long  ride  before  us.  With  conside- 
rerable  hacking,  we  secured  the  tusks,  and  a  large  slice  of 
the  rump,  and  with  these  trophies  of  the  greatest  hunting 
triumph  we  had  yet  achieved,  we  started  for  our  camp. 
We  arrived  safely,  but  not  until  the  night  had  spread  her 
full  serenity  over  the  teeming  world. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  ROAR  OF  THE  LION.  STILL  HUNTING  AT  THE 
FOUNTAIN.  THE  LION  AND  THE  LIONESS. 
WILDEBEEST.  RESUME  THE  MARCH.  CHASE 
OF  THE  GIRAFFE.  BUFFALOES. 

* 

A  FEW  nights  after  we  had  encamped  at  the  fountain, 
I  was  startled  by  hearing,  for  the  first  time,  the  roar  of  the 
lion.  Who,  once  hearing,  can  ever  forget  that  grand  and 
awful  voice  ?  The  peculiar  tone  of  haughty  defiance,  in 
its  thunder,  sent  a  thrill  of  terror  through  my  heart — one 
not  easily  appalled.  Slowly,  the  dreadful  sound  pervaded 
the  plains,  like  a  commanding  threat  from  the  king  of  wild 
beasts  to  his  subjects.  Mr.  Barrill  and  I  sat  up  by  the 
fire  to  listen.  First  came  a  low,  deep  moaning,  ending  in 
faint  sighs  ;  and  then  came  that  lofty  roar,  repeated  five 
or  six  times  in  quick  succession,  each  increasing  in  loud- 
ness  to  the  third  or  fourth,  when  the  voice  died  away  ia 
(142) 


STILL  HUNTING  AT  THE  FOUNTAIN  143 

five  or  six  low  muffled  sounds,  resembling  distant  thunder. 
Soon  afterwards  the  feeling  of  awe  which  these  dreadful 
sounds  had  excited,  gave  way  before  the  desire  to  prove 
my  superiority  over  the  grim  lords  of  strength,  and  I  de- 
termined to  make  the  effort  the  next  night,  cost  what  it 
might. 

The  next  day,  we  occupied  ourselves  in  completing  a 
hole  of  concealment  for  the  still-hunting  at  the  fountain. 
We  dug  it  among  the  low  bushes  on  the  side  farthest  from 
the  camp — making  it  about  four  feet  in  diameter  and 
three  in  depth.  Between  the  hole  and  the  edge  of  the 
fountain  the  bushes  were  thinned,  so  that  we  could  have 
plenty  of  room  for  aiming,  and  yet  not  be  seen,  from  the 
other  side,  by  the  game.  By  noon,  the  work  was  finished, 
and,  after  dinner,  the  Hottentots  were  ordered  to  take 
blankets,  and  some  provisions  to  the  hole,  for  our  comfort 
while  waiting,  during  the  chill  nights,  for  game. 

That  night  the  moon  rose  early,  and  as  we  had  refreshed 
ourselves  with  a  doze  and  a  hearty  meal,  we  took  our  sta- 
tions soon  after  nightfall  and  stood  prepared  to  administer 
a  dose  of  death  to  any  animal  that  chose  to  visit  the  foun- 
tain. And  there  we  waited  with  statue-like  patience  for 
some  hours  before  we  could  discern  the  approach  of  any 
wild  animals.  Suddenly,  the  heavy  tread  of  elephants 
was  heard,  and  ears  and  eyes  were  instantly  on  the  strain. 
Moving  majestically,  and,  with  a  sweeping  pace,  casting 


144  STILL  HUNTING  AT  THE  FOUNTAIN. 

shadows  like  hills,  came  three  elephants.  They  advanced 
fearlessly,  and,  on  reaching  the  fountain,  lowered  their 
long  trunks,  and  began,  almost  simultaneously,  to  suck  up 
the  refreshing  liquid.  Each  of  us  selected  an  animal,  and 
watching  an  opportunity,  when  the  heart  was  exposed, 
fired.  Scarcely  had  the  report  shocked  the  air  into  echoes, 
when  the  three  elephants  turned  and  fled.  But  the  two 
at  which  we  had  fired,  lagged,  and  as  they  fell  far  behind 
the  unscathed  animal,  we  knew  that  they  had  received 
wounds  which  in  time  would  lay  them  low. 

It  was  not  our  purpose  to  give  chase.  Congratulating 
each  other  on  the  night's  sport,  we  loaded,  and  waited  to  see 
what  kind  of  a  beast  would  become  the  next  victim. 
Carollus,  the  Hottentot,  had  informed  us  that,  when  the 
moon  rose  early,  the  lion  deferred  its  hour  of  watering, 
until  a  short  time  before  day-break,  and,  therefore,  we 
were  not  particularly  disappointed  in  not  seeing  any  of 
these  grim  monarchs  approach.  The  elephants  had  not 
disappeared  more  than  an  hour,  when  the  tramp  of  a  herd 
of  animals  broke  on  our  ears,  and  looking  up,  we  saw 
about  twenty  gnoos  approaching  at  a  trot.  Near  the 
fountain,  they  paused,  as  if  suspicious  of  danger ;  but, 
one  of  them  leading  the  way,  the  others  followed  to  the 
water,  and  began  to  drink.  We  cared  nothing  for  this 
game,  and  therefore  reserved  our  fire  for  better  that 
might  have  been  alarmed  by  the  report.  Before  the  gnoos 


HUNTING  THE  LION  145 

ha.  1  quenched  their  thirst,  several  wildebeests,  that  had  a 
fine  fat  appearance,  came  trotting  up  and,  very  sociably, 
commenced  drinking  among  them.  Here  was  our  game. 
Delicious  morsels  of  meat  floated  in  perspective.  Sin- 
gling our  fleshy  targets,  we  fired,  and  as  the  herd  scam- 
pered away,  as  if  all  had  received  some  shot  in  their  tails, 
we  saw  two  wildebeests  tumble  on  the  plain.  And  now 
it  became  our  duty  to  guard  at  least  one  of  these  animals, 
until  day-break.  After  this  no  other  game  appeared 
near  the  fountain,  for  some  hours  after  midnight ;  and  we 
were  actually  beginning  to  doze,  when  a  loud  lapping 
noise  at  the  farthest  end  of  the  fountain  startled  us  to 
turn  our  gaze  in  that  direction,  and  we  beheld  a  large 
lion  laying  on  his  breast,  with  his  massive  arms  stretched 
out,  and  engaged  in  (Jrinking  as  if  extremely  thirsty. 
Here,  at  last,  was  the  far-famed  king  of  the  beasts.  The 
moonlight  did  not  permit  us  to  see  the  form,  in  all  its 
grandeur  of  aspect.  But  there  was  something  awful  about 
the  massive  head  and  shaggy  mane,  which  we  did  not 
fail  to  perceive.  It  was  agreed  that  we  should  each  fire 
a  single  bullet  at  him  as  soon  as  he  rose  from  the  ground. 
He  seemed  to  have  a  burning  thirst.  Four  times, 
he  paused,  to  catch  breath,  and  still  the  quantity  of  water 
lapped  up  did  not  seem  to  satisfy  him.  We  were  patient, 
however,  and,  at  length,  the  lion  stood  up.  Instantly, 
our  rifles  rung  on  the  air.  As  the  smoke  cleared  away, 

13 


146  THE  DEAD  LION. 

we  beheld  the  enraged  majesty  of  the  beast — the  eyes  glow- 
ing like  living  coals,  and  the  bristling  madness  of  the  mane. 
He  disdained  to  fly,  but  stood  looking  for  his  foes,  till  the 
darkness  of  death  came  over  his  sight,  and  with  an  awful 
groan,  which  seemed  to  come  from  a  heart  striving  to 
conquer  agony,  he  fell  dead  beside  the  fountain. 

The  king  of  beasts  was  stretched  in  the  dust  by  the 
power  of  man.  Not  even  when  I  beheld  the  enormous 
elephant  we  had  slain,  did  I  experience  such  a  noble  thrill 
of  triumph — such  a  proud  consciousness  of,  superiority — 
as  when  this  monarch  of  the  plain,  so  renowned  in  story 
and  the  metaphors  of  men,  was  stretched  in  death  before 
my  eyes.  The  glory  of  the  warrior  was  dimned  in  my 
estimation,  and  I  felt  as  if  the  powers  conferred  on  man 
by  the  Creator  of  all,  and  denied  by  his  Providence  to 
beasts,  were  vindicated  and  displayed. 

We  still  hoped  that  other  lions  would  visit  the  fountain 
if  not  to  drink,  to  feed  upon  our  wildebeests.  We  were 
disappointed  however.  Several  hyenas  came,  in  the  eager 
expectation  of  enjoying  a  plenteous  meal ;  but  a  few  shots 
scattered  them  far  and  wide.  No  other  animals  appeared 
within  rifle-shot  till  the  white  light  of  day  filled  the  eastern 
sky.  We  then  left  our  place  of  concealment,  feeling  rather 
stiff  from  remaining  so  long  in  one  position,  and  eagerly 
went  to  examine  the  results  of  our  night's  work. 

Our  Hottentots  reached  the  wildebeest  before  us ;  for 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  LION.  147 

we  were  anxious  to  take  a  survey  of  the  lion.  It  was  one  of 
the  most  daring  and  ferocious  kind — known  as  the  black- 
maned  lion.  The  entire  length  of  the  animal  was  ten 
feet — and  the  height  from  the  fore  feet  to  the  top  of  the 
enormous  head  was  about  four  feet.  The  mane  was  long, 
rank,  shaggy,  and  black,  reaching  almost  to  the  feet.  The 
skin  of  the  body  was  of  a  dusky  brown  hue,  and  upon  the 
end  of  the  tail  was  a  tuft  of  hair,  somewhat  darker.  The 
limbs  had  the  appearance  of  tremendous  strength,  and  the 
whole  frame  seemed  so  compactly  built,  that  I  had  no 
doubt  the  stories  of  this  celebrated  animal  were  true. 
The  teeth  had  a  horribly  powerful  look,  and  the  skin  of 
the  tongue  was  rough  enough  to  lick  off  the  flesh  from 
his  victim's  bones.  When  we  had  gained  a  more 
familiar  acquaintance  with  the  lion,  he  rose  considerably 
in  our  estimation.  Combining  in  comparatively  small 
compass,  the  perfection  and  agility,  he  is  enabled,  by 
means  of  the  tremendous  machinery  with  which  nature 
has  gifted  him,  easily  to  overcome  and  destroy  almost 
every  beast  of  the  forest  and  plain,  however,  superior  to 
him  in  weight  and  stature.  A  lion  under  four  feet  in 
height  has  little  difficulty  in  dashing  to  the  ground  and 
overcoming  the  lofty  giraffe,  whose  head  towers  above  the 
trees'  of  the  forest,  and  whose  skin  is  nearly  an  inch  in 
thickness ;  and  the  powerful  buffalo  is  to  him  an  easy  prey. 
Mr.  Barrill  skinned  the  lion — a  work  of  great  toil  and 


148  DISCOVERED  TWO  LIONS. 

difficulty ;  and  I  secured  several  of  the  teeth  as  my  share 
of  the  trophies.  The  Hottentots  expressed  their  surprise 
and  joy  in  a  series  of  ridiculous  gestures,  and  they  kicked 
the  carcass  about  as  if  they  thought  it  could  feel  their 
blows.  These  people  entertain  a  more  than  wholesome 
dread  of  the  lion,  and  the  man  that  kills  one,  is  from  that 
time  a  superior  being  in  their  estimation.  We  found  that 
they  are  not  to  be  relied  upon  in  case  of  a  perilous 
encounter  with  the  king  of  beasts. 

The  wildebeests  slain  by  us  proved  to  be  two  fine  ani- 
mals. They  were  females.  The  general  color  was  blue — 
but  the  long,  bushy  tails  were  black.  Their  general  aspect 
resembled  that  of  the  buffalo,  although  they  are  said  to 
belong  to  the  antelope  tribe.  Their  heads  were  ponderous 
and  fierce  looking,  and  their  manes  long  and  shaggy.  Our 
Hottentots  soon  butchered  these  animals  to  our'  satisfac- 
tion, and  we  then  returned  to  camp,  determined  to  eat  a 
hearty  meal  and  then  set  off  in  pursuit  of  the  wounded 
elephant. 

Before  we  had  concluded  our  meal  of  wildebeests  flesh, 
which  was  indeed  delicious  eating,  we  were  startled  by  an 
incident  that  might  have  had  unpleasant  consequences. 
While  we  were  engaged  in  eating  and  chating,  our  oxen 
came  trotting  along  in  front  of  the  wagon  as  if  pursued ; 
and  looking  up,  we  saw  a  lioness  following  within  twenty 
yards  of  them ;  and  the  next  moment  her  mate,  a  yellow 


HUNTING  THE  LION.  149 

maned  lion  appeared  among  the  grass  not  far  ahead  of  the 
animals,  as  if  waiting  for  the  lioness  to  put  them  to  flight. 
Fortunately  the  oxen  ceased  running,  and  huddled  to- 
gether among  the  bushes  by  the  fountain,  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  yards  from  where  we  were  eating.  Now 
was  the  time  to  show  if  we  were  equal  to  the  open  attack 
upon  the  lordly  lion.  Each  of  us  seized  a  two-barrelled 
rifle  and  ran  forward  to  obtain  a  fair  shot.  I  got  within 
seventy  yards  of  the  lion,  and  taking  as  cool  an  aim  as 
the  proximity  of  such  an  animal  would  permit,  fired.  An 
excellent  shot ;  the  lion  was  hit  in  the  shoulder,  and  bound- 
ing forward,  he  growled  most  ferociously,  and  struck  a 
bee-line  for  the  neighboring  ridge.  Mr.  Barrill  fired  at 
the  lioness,  but  missed,  and  she  scampered  away  far  ahead 
of  her  wounded  lord.  Determined  to  follow  up  my  suc- 
cess, and,  alone,  achieve  a  victory  over  one  of  these 
powerful  animals,  I  quickly  reloaded,  and  set  off  on  foot 
shouting  to  my  English  friend,  that  he  might  follow  or 
remain -as  he  chose.  He  came  on  slowly,  so  that  I  was 
soon  far  ahead  of  him,  and  near  the  lion.  The  track  was 
deeply  dyed  with  blood.  Near  the  base  of  the  ridge,  it 
led  among  some  thick  bushes,  where  extreme  caution 
was  necessary  to  guard  against  a  sudden  attack.  I  beat 
the  bushes  before  me  as  I  went.  Suddenly,  I  heard  an 
awful  growl,  within  about  ten  yards  of  me,  and  walking 
.n  Diselessly  around  the  path  the  lion  had  marked  with  hi$ 

13* 


150  HUNTING  THE  LION. 

blood,  caught  sight  of  his  grim  majesty  seated  upon  the 
ground.  He  was  evidently  unable  to  proceed  farther,  and 
his  life  was  fast  ebbing  away.  But  his  eyes  glared  de- 
fiance around  him,  and  he  evinced  a  stubborn  determination 
not -to  yield  to  his  agony.  I  stood  fearlessly  admiring 
his  wounded  greatness,  when,  to  my  horror,  the  lioness 
we  had  before  seen  crept  up  to  his  side  and  began  to  look 
around  him  for  the  hurt.  For  the  first  time,  to  my  recol- 
lection, my  nerves  felt  extremely  shaky.  Before  I  could 
fairly  raise  my  rifle,  the  quick  eyes  of  the  lioness  dis- 
covered me,  and  with  a  tremendous  growl,  she  crouched 
for  a  spring.  The  wounded  lion  arose  at  the  same  moment. 
I  stood  face  to  face  with  both  of  these  horrible  monsters, 
upon  the  impulse  of  the  moment,  I  aimed  at  the  lioness, 
and,  as  she  sprang  towards  me,  she  received  my  bullets  in 
her  breast  and  fell  to  the  ground.  Almost  at  the  same 
instant,  another  rifle  report  rang  on  the  air,  and  the  lion 
fell  dead  upon  his  side,  uttering  an  awful  groan.  The 
lioness  was  not  quite  dead,  and  in  her  writhing,  she  came 
near  me,  clawing  my  legs,  causing  me  to  dance  about  to 
the  time  of  a  lively  jig.  But  the  contents  of  my  other 
barrel  quenched  her  flickering  flame  of  life,  and  she  stiffened 
beside  her  lord.  At  the  same  moment,  Mr.  Barrill  came 
up  to  congratulate  me  on  my  narrow  escape,  and  to  survey 
the  vanquished  beasts. 

The  lion  was  not  as  large  as  the  one  we  had  killed  at 


SKINNING  THE  LIONS.  151 

the  fountain.  His  skin  was  of  a  dusky  yellow  hue,  and  his 
inane,  which  reached  to  his  feet,  was  of  a  lighter  color. 
The  lioness  was  the  first  we  had  seen  in  Africa.  Her 
body  was  long  and  very  compactly  built.  She  was  utterly 
destitute  of  mane,  but  covered  with  a  short,  thick,  glossy 
coat  of  tawny  hair.  Her  face  wore  an  expression  of  in- 
tense ferocity,  such  as  no  other  animal  possesses.  We 
afterwards  ascertained  that  the  lioness  is  much  more  to 
be  dreaded  than  the  lion,  being  far  more  active,  daring, 
and  ferocious. 

The  labor  of  skinning  the  slain  animals  we  left  to  our ' 
Hottentot,  Mallo,  and  we  returned  to  camp  to  prepare  for  a 
ride  after  the  elephants.  The  thrilling  excitement  of  the 
iiornmg  had  banished  all  thoughts  of  sleep  from  our  minds, 
and  we  resolved  to  devote  the  day  to  hunting.  Our  horses 
were  rubbed  down  and  refreshed  at  the  fountain ;  our 
rifles  examined  and  ascertained  to  be  in  prime  order  ;  and 
our  stock  of  ammunition  replenished.  Carollus  was  directed 
to  follow  us  as  after  rider,  and  he  also  was  well  armed.  On 
his  horse  was  a  small  bag,  containing  some  pieces  of  cold 
meat  for  our  refreshment  in  case  of  our  not  returning  to 
camp  by  noon. 

We  set  off  before  the  sun  had  risen  far  above  the  eastern 
plain,  and  while  the  coolness  of  the  night  was  still  retained 
in  some  degree  by  the  air.  Not  a  cloud  was  to  be  seen  ; 
but  above  us,  like  a  vast  blue  tent,  was  spread  the  un- 


152  HUNTING  THE  ELEPHANT. 

stained  beauty  of  the  sky.  We  had  not  proceeded  more 
than  two  miles  from  camp,  when  we  came  in  sight  of  a 
herd  of  blue  wildebeests,  and  we  succeeded  in  getting  within 
about  three  hundred  yards  of  them  before  they  discovered 
us  and  fled.  Away  we  went  in  chase.  These  animals 
run  swiftly,  and  we  gained  but  little.  They  led  us  over 
an  undulating  plain  and  through  groves  of  mimosa  to  a 
rocky  ridge,  up  which  they  sprang,  and  so  got  away  un- 
touched. We  then  determined  to  retrace  our  steps  till 
we  could  find  the  track  of  the  elephant,  shot  at  the  foun- 
'  tain.  We  came  upon  the  bloody  traces  within  about  three 
miles  of  the  camp ;  and  following  them  up,  proceeded 
about  two  miles  in  a  direction  at  a  right  angle  with  that 
we  had  been  pursuing.  They  then  led  into  a  thick  grove 
of  mimosa  and  camelthorn  where  we  heard  crashing  noises, 
as  if  some  large  animal  was  there  moving  about.  We 
dismounted,  and,  as  quietly  as  possible,  entered  the  grove 
to  reconnoitre.  The  trees  were  sadly  belabored  by  the 
trunks  of  elephants,  that  was  evident.  Suddenly,  as  we 
pushed  aside  the  broken  limbs  we  saw  an  elephant  stretched 
dead  upon  the  ground,  amid  pools  of  blood ;  and,  along- 
side, was  standing  another  of  those  enormous  animals, 
which  sometimes  looked  piteously  at  the  dead  one,  and 
then  furiously  belabored  the  trees,  with  that  rage  of  grief 
which  causes  human  beings  to  tear  the  hair  and  beat  the 
breast.  It  was  a  cow  elephant,  and  the  slain  was  a  lordly 


HUNTING  THE  ELEPHANT.  153 

bull  with  magnificent  tusks.  We  had  wounded  the  cow 
in  a  much  slighter  degree  than  was  supposed,  and  were 
compelled  to  wonder  at  the  death  of  the  bull  from  a  single" 
shot.  We  first  saw  our  path  clear  for  a  fair  run  to  the 
horses,  and  then,  taking  aim  at  the  region  behind  the 
shoulder,  each  fired  the  load  of  a  barrel  into  the  grieving 
cow,  and  without  waiting  to  see  the  result,  ran  for  our 
horses.  And  we  did  well ;  for  a  shrill  trumpeting  sounded 
the  signil  for  a  tremendous  charge  through  the  grove  in 
our  rear.  The  horses  had  not  been  tied,  we  seized  the 
bridle,  sprang  into  the  saddle,  and  spurred  away  just  as 
the  enraged  cow  reached  the  edge  of  the  grove.  She  must 
have  been  within  a  dozen  feet  of  Mr.  Barrill,  when  he 
started  his  horse.  But  we  had  no  need  of  hard  riding. 
The  poor  cow  had  done  her  best.  She  halted  about  fifty 
yards  from  the  grove,  and  turned,  as  if  about  to  go  back 
to  the  body  of  her  mate ;  but  the  strong  grasp  of  death 
had  seized  her  vitals,  and,  with  a  few,  long,  horrid  groans, 
she  fell  forward,  and  rolled  dead  upon  the  plain.  We 
did  not  cheer  on  this  occasion,  as  we  did  when  our  first  ele- 
phant fell  before  our  rifles.  Though  determined  to  com- 
plete our  work,  we  had  been  too  much  affected  by  the 
touching  display  of  attachment  between  the  elephants  to 
break  forth  in  clamorous  rejoicings. 

Leaving  the  cow  we  entered  the  grove  to  survey  the 
bull.      The  ground  was  absolutely  slippery  with  blood, 


154  HUNTING  THE  ELEPHANT. 

and  our  shoes  were  soon  dyed  with  its  horrid  red.  We 
were  not  long  ascertaining  the  cause  of  the  bull's  death. 
-In  the  belly  was  an  awful  rip,  evidently  made  either  by 
the  tusk  of  another  elephant,  or  by  the  horn  of  a  rhi- 
noceros. Suspecting  it  was  the  latter,  we  began  to  look 
around  for  the  assailant ;  and  about  twenty  yards  from 
the  bull,  we  stumbled  upon  the  body  of  a  black  rhinoceros, 
which  seemed  to  have  been  killed  by  the  thrust  of  an  ele- 
phant. Our  version  of  the  case  was,  that  the  wounded  bull 
had  been  attacked  and  killed  by  -the  rhinoceros,  and  the 
cow  had  punished  the  murderer.  But,  sinking  sympathy, 
we  hacked  off  the  tusks  which  were  fine  specimens  of 
ivory — taking  possession  of  the  weapons  of  all  the  van- 
quished, and  leaving  them  in  charge  of  Carollus,  with 
directions  to  drag  them  back  to  the  camp.  In  the  mean- 
time, we  took  the  bag  of  refreshments,  and,  emerging 
from  the  scene  so  red  with  slaughter,  made  a  tolerable  meal 
of  our  "cold  cut." 

At  the  end  of  an  hour,  Carollus  returned,  and  we  once 
more  mounted,  and  rode  away  over  the  plain  in  search 
of  game.  But  an  accident  cut  short  our  sport  for  the 
day.  As  Mr.  Barrill  was  carelessly  riding  within  a  few 
yards  of  me,  his  horse  stumbled  into  a  kind  of  rut,  in  the 
plain,  and  he  pitched  over  its  head.  He  fell  heavily,  and 
on  dismounting  to  assist  him,  I  found  that  he  had  sprained 
his  ankle,  and  bruised  his  right  shoulder.  The  injuries 


PROCEED  TO  AMAZOOLOO  COUNTRY.  155 

were  very  painful,  and  we  thought  it  advisable  to  return 
immediiately  to  the  wagons  to  procure  some  lineament  for 
rubbing  them.  We  rode  slowly  and  it  was  about  the 
middle  of  the  afternoon  when  we  reached  the  camp.  Mr. 
Ban-ill's  ankle  was  so  much  swollen  that  he  could  not 
walk,  and  we  lifted  him  from  his  horse  to  a  soft  couch  of 
skins  in  one  of  the  wagons. 

During  the  remainder  of  the  day  we  discussed  the  ques- 
tion of  the  extent  of  our  journey.  Mr.  Barrill  had  a  tole- 
rably accurate  map  of  the  country  with  him.  By  exam- 
ining this,  we  found  that  we  were  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
people  called  Bechuanas,  and  that  the  journey  of  a  few 
days  would  take  us  within  the  limits  of  Amazoola,  domi- 
nions, governed  by  the  able  and  inexplorable  Moselekatse. 
At  this  time  the  friendship  of  the  chief  for  the  white  was 
of  a  doubtful  character,  few  persons,  besides  officials,  ven- 
tured from  the  colony  to  the  borders  of  the  Amazoola 
country.  Yet  we  desired  to  hunt  that  paragon  of  South 
African  animals — the  elegant  giraffe,  and  we  were  willing 
to  encounter  danger  in  gratifying  our  wishes.  The  debate 
concluded  in  this  resolution,  not  to  place  ourselves  within 
the  reach  of  Amazooloo  spears  if  we  could  find  giraffe 
without  so  doing ;  but,  at  all  events,  to  push  on  till  our 
eyes  were  gladdened  with  the  sight  of  that  noble  beast. 
Being  extremely  fatigued  I  retired  to  repose  early  that 
evening. 


156  THE  BUSHMEN. 

The  next  morning,  Mr.  Barrill  found  himself  rather 
sore,  but  much  easier.  The  bruise  on  the  shoulder  had 
ceased  to  pain.  The  ankle  was  swollen,  and  it  was  impos- 
sible for  him  to  tread  upon  the  foot.  He  was  eager  to 
move  on,  however,  and  proposed  that  we  should  at  once 
break  up  the  camp — that  Carollus  should  take  a  rifle  and 
proceed  with  me  on  horseback,  while  he  sat  in  the  wagon, 
and  tried  his  hand  at  driving  the  oxen.  I  was  indifferent 
to  all  things,  but  the  wishes  of  my  kind  friend,  as  re- 
garded the  course  to  be  pursued,  and,  by  sunrise  we  were 
moving  away  from  the  fountain,  in  the  vicinity  of  which 
we  had  seen  such  excellent  sport.  The  day  was  fine,  the 
route  level  and  pleasantly  varied  with  beauties  of  the 
vegetable  kingdom. 

Occasionally,  we  caught  a  glimpse  of  herds  of  antelope, 
zebras,  and  quaggas,  but  they  were  too  far  away  to  tempt 
my  pursuit.  Wretched  Bushmen,  more  resembling  filthy 
apes  than  human  beings,  would  sometimes  start  from  holes 
in  the  ridges,  look  at  our  wagons,  in  grinning  surprise, 
and  then  disappear  so  rapidly,  that  we  could  not  attempt 
to  communicate  with  them.  No  people  I  had  ever  seen — 
not  even  the  miserable  Digger  Indians,  west  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  in  my  dear  native  land,  appeared  to  me  to  be 
so  near  the  level  of  the  brute  creation.  Near  about  noon 
we  witnessed  a  singular  race.  It  was  the  attempt  of  a 
party  of  Bechuanas  to  run  down  an  ostrich — an  exploit 


PROCEED  ON  THEIR  JOURNEY.  157 

which  these  people  sometimes  accomplish.  They  were 
about  three  hundred  yards  behind  the  ostrich  when  they 
passed  our  wagons,  and  as  they  disappeared  over  a  ridge 
upon  our  right  they  seemed  to  have  gained  seine  ground. 
Certainly  no  sport  could  excel  this  mode  of  hunting  the 
ostrich,  in  fatiguing  the  ardent  hunter.  As  night  came 
on,  we  encamped  near  the  Kurrichane  mountain  range, 
beside  a  salt-pan,  then  filled  with  water.  The  country 
was  generally  undulating,  covered  with  grass  and  dwarfish 
trees,  and  from  the  slightest  elevation  looked  like  a  vast 
park.  The  mountains  were  not  lofty,  but  rugged  and 
picturesque.  Towards  evening  I  had  succeeded  in  killing  . 
a  hartebeest  which  served  us  for  a  delicious  meal. 

The  next  morning,  Mr.  Barrill  considered  his  ankle  well 
enough  to  mount  his  horse,  and  Carollus  resumed  his  jam- 
bok,  or  whip,  to  perform  the  difficult  task  of  driving 
the  oxen  over  the  mountains.  The  ascent  was  easy,  but 
very  slow,  and  the  descent,  though  more  rapid,  was  ex- 
tremely fatiguing  to  the  oxen.  In  the  valley,  upon  the 
other  side,  we  found  a  road,  which  our  Hottentots  said  led 
to  the  vale  of  Bakatla.  We  proceeded  up  the  valley 
about  three  miles,  when  we  reached  a  gorge  in  the 
mountains.  Through  this  ran  a  crystal  stream,  which  we 
followed  for  about  half  a  mile,  and  then  entered  the  beau- 
tiful vale  of  Bakatla,  bounded  by  finely- wooded  mountains 
and  varied  with  cornfield  and  grassy  meadows.  That 

14 


158  PROCEED  ON  THEIR  JOURNEY, 

night  we  supped  with  the  resident  missionary  and  Mosie- 
lely,  king  of  the  Bakatlas,  a  Bechuana  tribe  of  but  trifling 
importance.  The  Bakatlas  we  saw  had  become  about 
half  civilized  as  regarded  their  costume,  and  were  far 
beyond  the  other  natives  in  intelligence.  The  next  morn- 
ing, we  obtained  a  supply  of  some  corn,  and  some  pump- 
kins and  watermelons,  and  made  the  Bakatla  chief  some 
presents  of  beads,  snuff,  and  other  articles  valued  by  these 
people ;  obtained  some  information  in  regard  to  the  coun- 
try northward  of  the  vale,  and,  in  spite  of  all  the  hos- 
pitable entreatiesof  the  kind  missionary,  proceeded  on  our 
journey.  The  same  night  we  encamped  about  ten  miles 
beyond  the  vale,  after  a  day  of  hard  travel  and  unsuccess- 
ful chase. 

The  next  day  we  resumed  our  march.  The  country 
was  beautifully  diversified.  Wooded  hills  and  mountains 
stretched  away  on  every  side.  Gorgeously-colored  groves 
lined  the  route.  Herds  of  antelopes  of  many  beautiful 
varieties,  zebras,  quaggas,  gnoos,  ostriches,  and  occasional 
rhinoceroses  and  numerous  animals  of  which  we  had  no 
knowledge  or  description,  appeared  to  tempt  our  rifles ; 
but  we  only  succeeded  in  slaughtering  the  antelopes  which 
had  furnished  us  with  so  much  delicious  food  since  wo 
had  been  hunting  in  South  Africa.  For  several  days  we 
travelled  on,  without  the  occurrence  of  any  incident  of  a 
novel  or  striking  character.  At  length  we  reached 


HUNTING  THE  GIRAFFE. 


HUNTING  THE  GIRAFFE.  159 

the  bold  and  romantic  mountain  pass  of  Sesetabie,  in  a 
range  of  lofty  eminences,  in  which  Kulenberg  river  has  , 
its  rise.  We  encamped  at  its  foot  for  one  night  and  then 
followed  the  course  of  the  stream  to  cross  the  range.  It 
danced  and  glimmered  down  a  rocky  channel,  forming  a 
beautiful  succession  of  bubbling  streams  and  leaping  cas- 
cades. As  we  advanced  up  the  gorge,  the  path  grew  so 
narrow,  that  the  wagons  could  scarcely  pass  between  the 
rocky  brink  of  the  stream  and  the  rugged  side  of  the 
mountain  which  towered  in  accessible  grandeur  on  our 
left.  Large  masses  of  granite  rock  obstructed  our  progress 
through  this  wild  and  lonely  pass,  and  we  had  great  diffi- 
culty in  rolling  them  out  of  our  way.  At  the  noisy  junc- 
tion of  two  streams  we  encamped  a  little  after  noon ;  and 
there  remained  until  next  morning,  in  order  to  rest  our 
jaded  oxen.  During  the  night  our  dreams  were  made 
musical  by  the  most  terrible  concerts  of  lions  and  hyenas 
I  had  yet  heard. 

The  next  morning,  we  resumed  our  march,  crossed  a 
rocky  ridge,  and  then  found  ourselves  in  a  more  level 
country,  very  wild,  but  possessing  many  beautiful  features. 
It  was  about  noon,  when,  as  Mr.  Barrill  and  I  were  re- 
turning to  the  wagon  track  after  an  unsuccessful  chase 
after  some  hartebeeste,  our  "sight  was  first  brightened 
by  a  view  of  the  giraffe,  or  cameleopard.  Happening  to 
sast  my  eyes  at  a  grove  of  parasol-topped  acacia  trees, 


160  HUNTING  THE  GIRAFFE. 

about  three  hundred  yards  on  our  right,  I  thought  I  saw 
something  like  several  heads  towering  above  the  tops  of 
the  grove,  A  moment  longer,  and  the  lofty  grace  of  the 
giraffe  was  visible. 

"  See  !  see !  Mr.  Barrill,  see !  "  I  exclaimed,  and  he 
turned  to  look  in  the  direction  I  was  pointing. 

"  Giraffe  !  giraffe  !"  he  fairly  shouted,  and  the  noise 
startled  the  colossal  animal  to  flight.  They  were  seven  in 
number,  and  each  one  was  at  least  seventeen  feet  in  height. 
They  cantered  away,  switching  their  long  tails  over  their 
backs,  and  almost  excited  to  a  sportsman's  madness  by 
the  splendid  sight,  I  dashed  after  them,  Mr.  Barill  fol- 
lowing rapidly.  The  ground  was  even,  and  after  a  thrill- 
ing chase  of  about  half  a  mile,  we  were  among  the  herd. 
I  selected  my  game,  and  separated  it  from  the  herd. 
On  finding  itself  driven  off,  this  giraffe  increased  its  speed, 
and  cleared  an  amazing  extent  of  ground  at  every  bound. 
Riding  near  its  stern  I  fired  a  bullet  into  its  back,  and 
then  getting  alongside  I  sent  another  in  behind  the  shoul- 
der. This  brought  the  lofty  animal  to  a  stand.  So  that 
I  had  full  time  to  reload.  One  more  report  rang  on  the 
air — the  giraffe  bounded  into  the  air,  and  fell  backwards 
upon  the  plain*  Oh  !  the  soft,  imploring  beauty  of  the 
eyes,  as  they  were  turned  upon  me  !  But  they  glazed, 
the  limbs  quivered  as  death's  chill  crept  over  them — a 
gasp,  and  the  giraffe — the  pride  of  the  plains — the  loftiest 


HUNTING  THE  GIRAFFE.  161 

animal  on  earth — lay  vanquished  at  my  feet,  where  I  could 
but  gaze  upon  its  noble  form  in  wonder  and  admiration. 

But  my  attention  was  now  called  to  Mr.  Barrill.  He 
had  singled  out  his  game  and  shot  the  animal  in  one  of 
the  hind  legs  thus  preventing  it  from  bounding  away.  He 
had  then  got  alongside  and  shot  it  in  the  shoulder,  so  that 
it  fell  upon  one  side,  unable  to  go  farther.  Instead  of 
killing  it,  then,  my  friend  had  dismounted,  and  when  I 
turned  to  look  at  him,  he  was  leaning  upon  his  rifle,  gazing 
at  the  beautiful  skin  and  eyes  of  the  beautiful  creature. 
And  thus  he  continued  till  the  giraffe  fell  upon  the  plain 
in  the  last  shivering  agony  of  death. 

The  giraffe  is  admirably  formed  by  nature  to  adorn  the 
gorgeous  forests  that  clothe  the  plains  in  the  interior  of 
South  Africa.  When  a  herd  of  them  is  seen  scattered 
through  a  grove  of  acacias,  on  the  uppermost  shoots  of 
which  they  are  enabled  to  browse,  grace,  beauty,  and 
dignity  are  in  all  their  movements.  The  height  is  usually 
about  seventeen  feet,  the  male  being  at  least  a  foot  taller, 
when  full  grown.  Of  this  colossal  height,  the  legs  have 
seven  feet,  and  the  neck  about  six.  The  head  is  small 
and  tapering.  The  eyes,  being  large,  black,  and  having 
a  melting  glance  to  which  the  long  silken  lashes  add  ex- 
pression, far  surpass  those  of  the  famed  gaselle  of  oriental 
climes,  these  orbs  are  so  constructed  that  the  animal  can 
see  both  before  and  behind  without  turning  its  head.  On 

14* 


162  HUNTING  THE  GIRAFFE 

the  forehead  is  a  remarkable  prominence.  The  tongue  hag 
the  power  of  mobility  in  such  a  degree  that  it  almost  rivals 
the  proboscis  of  the  elephant.  The  lofty,  maned  neck, 
possessing  only  seven  joint  seems  to  move  on  a  pivot,  in- 
stead of  being  flexible  like  that  of  the  swan.  The  body 
tapers  off  towards  the  tail,  which  gives  the  giraffe  the  ap- 
pearance of  having  its  hind  legs  much  shorter  than  the 
fore-legs,  but  they  are  of  the  same  length.  The  tail  is 
long  and  tufted  with  black  hair.  Both  sexes  have  horns, 
covered  with  hair. 

The  skin  is  about  an  inch  and  a  half  in  thickness,  and 
it  was  a  matter  of  astonishment  to  me  how  a  bullet  could 
pass  through  it.  The  general  color  of  the  female  is  a 
dusky  white,  with  large  pale,  ferruginous  spots,  each  darker 
in  the  centre.  The  color  of  the  male  is  a  deep  sienna,  or 
brown,  varied  with  the  same  large  spots  as  are  seen  to 
beautify  the  female.  The  belly,  neck  and  cheeks  of  both 
sexes  are  white.  These  suberb  animals  utter  no  cry  what- 
ever ;  their  soft  glances  are  their  only  speech.  Their 
senses  of  sight  hearing,  and  smell  are  acute  and  delicate. 
Naturally,  gentle,  timid,  and  peaceable,  the  giraffe  has  no 
means  of  protecting  itself,  but  with  its  heels ;  but  even 
when  hard  pressed  by  relentless  foes,  it  seldom  resorts  to 
this  mode  of  defence.  The  lion  is  the  most  horrible  of  its 
enemies,  not  even  excepting  man ;  for  that  powerful  ani- 
mal lies  in  wait  near  the  drinking  places  and  seldom  fails 


HUNTING  THE  BUFFALO.  163 

to  dash  the  giraffe  to  the  ground  by  a  spring  upon  its 
back. 

Although  it  was  late  and  the  wagons  were  far  ahead, 
Mr.  Barrill  immediately  set  to  work  to  secure  the  heads 
and  skins  of  our  prizes.  Mine  was  a  cow ;  the  one  my 
friend  had  killed  was  a  magnificent  bull.  At  the  end  of 
about  half  an  hour,  we  had  secured  our  trophies,  and 
added  some  slices  of  meat  to  taste  its  quality.  We  then 
remounted  and  rode  for  the  wagons.  But  we  were  in  luck 
that  day  ;  for  we  had  not  proceeded  more  than  two  miles 
upon  the  wagon  trail,  when  Mr.  Barrill  pointed  out  a 
herd  of  African  buffaloes,  far  away  to  our  right.  The  im- 
pulse was  irresistible,  and  away  we  went  to  give  these  cu- 
rious animals  an  illustration  of  our  destructive  propensi- 
ties. Riding  a  short  distance  ahead,  I  got  within  about 
seventy  yards  of  them  before  they  discovered  me,  and 
started  away.  They  were  among  the  fiercest  looking  ani- 
mals I  had  ever  beheld.  As  they  fled,  they  gave  off  a 
strong  bovine  smell.  Mr.  Barrill  selected  a  bull,  and  after 
a  short  chase,  during  which  the  dangling  of  the  giraffe 
heads  gave  us  much  annoyance,  we  succeeded  in  firing 
into  him  behind  the  shoulder,  and  a  second  volley,  tumbled 
him  upon  the  plain,  when  we  instantly  dismounted  to  ex- 
amine him.  He  bore  very  little  resemblance  to  the  bison, 
or  buffalo,  of  the  American  plains ;  but  his  structure  was 
even  more  powerful.  He  was  about  twelve  feet  in  length, 


164  HUNTING  THE  BUFFALO. 

and  five  feet,  six  or  eight  inches  high  at  the  shoulder. 
The  neck  was  short,  the  back  straight  and  hunchless.  The 
head  was  short  in  proportion  to  the  animal's  bulk.  The 
eyes  were  small,  and  so  overshadowed  by  the  rough  and 
ponderous  horns,  as  to  give  them  a  most  ferocious  expres- 
sion. The  hide  was  of  a  bluish-purple  color,  varied  with 
black.  We  surveyed  the  buffalo  with  much  curiosity  on 
account  of  the  associations  of  the  mane,  and  pointed 
out  the  many  points  of  difference  between  it  and  the  noble 
bison  of  my  own  native  land.  The  horns,  tongue,  and  hide 
were  then  secured  by  the  rapid  application  of  both  our 
knives ;  and,  then,  burdened  with  the  spoils  of  the  chase, 
we  set  out  for  our  wagons,  just  as  the  first  faint  shadow 
cf  twilight  fell  apon  the  plain. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  ELAND.  A  BECHUANA  KRAAL.  HERDS  OF  WILD 
ELEPHANTS.  LIONS  ATTACKED  BY  BECHUANAS. 
ABUNDANCE  OF  GAME.  THE  RETURN  TRIP. 
SPLENDID  SPORT.  FALL  SICK.  ARRIVAL  AT 
GRAHAMSTOWN. 

THE  next  day  after  our  encounter  with  the  giraffe,  we 
came  to  the  base  of  another  mountain  range,  along  which 
we  followed  through  woody  dells  and  open  glades  till  we 
came  to  a  forest  of  a  venerahle  aspect.  The  traces  of 
game  were  abundant,  and  here  we  slew  a  noble  animal 
which  we  had  frequently  seen  during  our  expedition,  but 
never  had  an  opportunity  of  bringing  to  the  ground.  This 
was  the  largest  of  the  antelope  tribe,  known  as  the  eland. 
I  saw  an  old  bull,  about  six  feet  high,  standing  under  a 
tree.  A  short  race,  and  two  well-aimed  shots,  both  from 
my  own  rifle,  and  the  eland  was  stretched  in  the  agonies  of 
death,  his  soft  black  eye  melting  into  tears. 

(165) 


166  A  BECHUANA  KRAAL. 

t 

The  proportions  of  the  body  of  this  eland  were  like  those 
of  the  common  bull.  The  horns  were  long,  and  nearly 
straight.  The  neck  was  short  and  thick.  A  broad,  deep 
dewlap  descended  to  the  knees.  The  hind  quarters  were 
very  large.  The  general  color  was  a  rufous  dun,  or  ashey 
grey,  tinged  with  ochre.  The  skin  emitted  a  delicious 
perfume  of  trees  and  grass.  That  night  we  ate  the  flesh 
of  the  eland,  and  in  a  gormandizing  enthusiasm,  pronounced 
it  the  king  of  edible  animals.  The  remainder  of  the  sweet 
and  tender  meat  was  cut  up  and  preserved.  After  that 
meal,  when  we  hunted  merely  for  fresh  food,  the  eland  was 
uppermost  in  our  minds,  and  none  appeared  that  we  did 
not  make  a  determined  effort  to  secure.  We  found  that  these 
animals  are  of  a  plethoric  habit,  and  that  they  cannot 
stand  a  severe  chase. 

The  mountains  were  of  such  easy  ascent  that  we  occu- 
pied but  a  morning  in  crossing  them.  About  a  mile  from 
their  base,  on  the  sloping  bank  of  a  small  stream,  we  sud- 
denly came  upon  a  Bechuana  kraal — which  to  our  unac- 
customed eyes  presented  a  grotesque  appearance.  A  cir- 
cular thorn  fence,  six  or  eight  feet  in  height,  with  only 
one  entrance,  inclosed  a  stoping  area,  around  which  the 
huts  were  ranged.  The  cattle  were  usually  kept  during 
the  night  in  the  inclosure.  The  huts  were  of  a  common 
bee-hive  form,  having  a  small  entrance,  barely  affording 
space  for  a  man  to  crawl  through  on  his  hands  and  knees. 


ATTACK  A  WHITE  RHINOCEROS.  167 

But  our  rifles  scared  them  away  to  an  agreeable  distance, 
for,  be  it  known,  that  the  perfume  of  a  Bechuana  female 
sometimes  causes  one  to  hold  the  organ  of  smell.  These 
people  were  extremely  anxious  to  obtain  snuff  from  us — 
that  being  esteemed  by  them  an  earthly  heaven  of  luxury ; 
but  we  concluded  to  reserve  our  stock  for  a  propitiatory 
offering,  if  we  should  encounter  natives  whose  friendship 
was  uncertain  or  whose  enmity  was  to  be  feared.  A  few 
miles  further  on,  among  some  extensive  forests  of  mimosa 
and  acacia,  I  shot  an  eland,  and,  after  a  severe  conflict 
with  a  whole  herd  of  buffaloes,  I  aided  Mr.  Barrill  in  kill- 
ing a  savage  cow.  We  had  a  narrow  escape  from  a  white 
rhinoceros,  which  charged  at  the  moment  our  attention 
was  absorbed  by  the  buffaloes,  and  but  for  a  quick  dodge, 
both  of  us  would  have  been  tumbled  beneath  the  feet  of 
the  herd.  A  shot  in  the  shoulder,  sent  the  rhinoceros 
limping  away,  and  we  concluded  the  battle  with  a  victory. 
The  next  day,  having  seen  fresh  traces  of  herds  of  ele- 
phants, Mr.  Barrill  and  I,  with  Carollus  as  after  rider  pro- 
ceeded ahead  of  the  wagons,  through  a  country  presenting 
every  variety  of  feature.  At  one  time,  we  crossed  bare 
stony  ridges,  at  another  threaded  the  mazes  of  shady,  but 
scattered  forests;  now  struggled  through  fields  of  high 
grass,  which  the  wind  moved  to  a  sea  of  green  waves,  and 
again  emerged  into  open  lawns.  At  length  we  arrived 
among  groups  of  grassy  hills,  covered  with  loose  stones, 


168  HUNTING  THE  ELEPHANT. 

interspersed  with  streams  and  occasional  patches  of 
forest,  in  which  the  destructive  labors  of  the  elephant  were 
manifest.  Here  we  descried  a  large  herd  of  these  stately 
animals  leisurely  browsing  at  the  head  of  a  distant  valley. 
Carollus  was  dispatched,  to  drive  the  herd  back  into  the 
valley,  up  which  we  rode  slowly,  and  without  noise  against 
the  wind. 

Arriving  within  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  unperceived, 
we  made  our  horses  fast,  and  took  up  a  position  in  an  old 
kraal.  Carollus  now  appeared  above  them,  and  by  his 
shouting  and  firing,  drove  them  towards  us.  The  herd, 
consisted  of  ten,  all  females  with  large  tusks.  We  selec- 
ted the  finest,  and  when  she  came  within  ten  yards,  each 
fired  two  balls  into  her,  behind  the  shoulder.  She  stum- 
bled, but  recovered  and  uttered  a  shrill  trump  of  lamen- 
tation, at  the  sound  of  which  the  rest  of  the  herd  clambered 
up  the  adjacent  heights.  Seeing  us,  the  wounded  and  en- 
raged cow  turned  upon  us  with  uplifted  trunk,  and. we  had 
to  put  spurs  to  our  horses.  But  the  elephant  soon  stop- 
ped, and  as  I  checked  my  horse  I  fired  a  bullet  into  hex 
brain,  and  she  tumbled  forward  dead,  striking  the  earth 
with  a  crashing  sound. 

Turning  around  to  survey  the  surrounding  scenery  we 
found  that  a  second  valley  had  opened  before  us,  sur- 
rounded by  bare,  stony  hills,  and  traversed  by  a  thinly 
wooded  ravine.  Here  a  picture  burst  upon  us,  from  which 


HUNTING  THE  ELEPHANT.  169 

description  shrinks.  The  whole  face  of  the  landscape  was 
covered  with  elephants.  Every  bare  height  and  wooded 
knoll  had  its  groups,  whilst  the  bottom  of  the  valley  dis- 
played a  living  mass  those  colossal  animals  in  the  open 
glades  bearing  in  their  trunks  the  branches  of  trees,  with 
which  they  indolently  protect  themselves  from  the  flies.  A 
blue  mountain  range,  lofty  and  precipitous,  appeared  in 
the  background,  completing  a  picture  that  would  have  defied 
the  painter's  art. 

To  the  eye  of  the  sportsman,  this  magnificent  scene  had 
a  charm  of  sublimity  which  the  mere  sight-seer  could 
not  have  enjoyed.  As  we  approached  against  the  wind, 
we  were  unobserved,  and  no  alarm  was  excited  until  the 
cows  we  had  left  thundered  down  the  hill,  and  passed  so 
close  to  us,  that  we  could  not  refrain  from  firing  at  one 
of  them,  which,  however,  escaped  with  little  injury.  We 
then  prepared  to  attack  this  grand  army  of  elephants. 
Securing  our  horses  on  the  summit  of  a  stony  ridge,  and 
then  taking  a  stand  on  a  ledge  overlooking  and  command- 
ing the  wooded  defile,  we  sent  Carollus  to  drive  the  ani- 
mals past  us,  so  that  we  might  select  a  bull.  Slowly  they 
walked  within  about  twenty  yards  of  us,  flapping  their 
large  ears  and  twisting  their  tails  to  keep  the  flies  off. 
Nearly  all  were  cows,  many  of  them  having  calves.  But 
at  length  we  saw  a  bull  approach,  and  with  a  thrill  of 
sportmen's  joy,  we  fired.  The  bull  stopped,  but  the  re- 

15 


170  HUNTING  THF  ELEPHANT. 

port  put  the  whole  herd  to  flight,  and  then  we  had  to  look 
out  for  our  safety.  We  had  barely  time  to  ensconce  our- 
selves behind  the  projection  of  the  hill,  when  a  large 
number  of  the  cows  dashed  by,  and  our  wounded  bull  fol- 
lowed them.  The  whole  army  was  thrown  into  confusion, 
and  it  was  one  of  the  most  thrilling  scenes  I  had  ever 
witnessed.  Parties  charged  in  every  direction,  and  the 
air  was  filled  with  the  shrill  trumpeting  of  the  alarmed 
groups.  We  entirely  lost  sight  of  the  wounded  bull,  and 
as  the  herd  came  dashing  rather  too  near  us,  we  were 
compelled  to  retreat,  dodging  from  tree  to  tree,  stumbling 
among  sharp  stones,  and  constantly  meeting  fresh  detach- 
ments of  elephants.  However,  we  obtained  one  good  shot, 
and  by  a  ball  in  the  brain  brought  down  a  large  cow,  with 
a  splendid  pair  of  tusks,  which  we  concluded  to  leave  until 
the  wagons  came  up.  The  train  soon  appeared,  and  we 
descended  into  the  valley  to  encamp  upon  the  banks  of 
the  small  stream  that  ran  through  the  wooded  ravine. 
Within  an  hour  from  the  time  of  the  first  attack,  that  no 
elephant  was  to  be  seen  in  the  vicinity  of  our  camp,  the 
dead  cow  alone  excepted.  Her  tusks  were  secured  and 
placed  among  our  large  stock  of  trophies. 

The  next"  day  we  crossed  the  ridge  on  the  same  side 
towards  the  mountains,  and  found  ourselves  upon  an  un- 
dulating plain.  We  had  not  proceeded  far,  riding  ahead 
of  the  wagons,  before  we  witnessed  a  party  of  the  Bechu- 


• 
BECHUANAS  ATTACKING  A  LION.  171 

anas  attacking  a  lion.  As  we  were  curious  to  see  how 
they  succeeded  in  hunting  this  formidable  animal,  we  did 
not  interfere,  but 'held  our  rifles  in  reserve  for  a  critical 
moment.  Each  Bechuana  had  a  kind  of  mop  of  ostrich 
feathers  tied  upon  a  stick,  made  sharp  at  the  end  held  in 
the -hand — an  article  used  as  a  parasol  as  well  as  in  the 
chase — and  the  short  spear,  called  the  assagai,  which 
these  people  throw  with  great  certainty  and  force.  The 
lion  was  a  full-grown  yellow-maned  animal.  He  had  re- 
ceived an  assagai  in  his  side,  and  was  rather  hard  pressed, 
when  he  turned  upon  one  of  the  Bechuanas  and  hurled 
him  to  the  ground,  clawing  him  frightfully.  But  a  thrust 
in  the  rear  again  brought  him  to  a  run,  when  one  of  the 
Bechuanas,  who  happened  to  be  in  front,  stuck  his  ostrich 
parasol  in  the  ground  and  dodged  aside.  The  lion  at- 
tacked the  senseless  stick,  and  thus  allowed  his  vigilant 
enemies  opportunities  to  give  him  several  deep  thrusts  with 
their  assagais.  He  quickly  turned  upon  them,  and  their 
utmost  dexterity  was  needed  to  keep  beyond  his  reeking 
jaws.  But  his  strength  was  ebbing  with  his  blood,  and, 
as  he  made  a  vigorous  assault  upon  an  ostrich  parasol,  a 
Bechuana  gave  him  a  finishing-thrust  in  the  heart.  Yet 
after  the  mighty  beast  fell  stark  and  stiff,  these  trium- 
phant hunters  continued  to  bury  their  assagais  in  his  body 
to  make  sure  of  his  death.  This  mode  of  hunting  was  as 
daring  as  it  was  successful.  Though  generally  considered 


172  LARGE  HERDS  OF  WILD  ANIMALS. 

somewhat  reckless  in  adventure,  I  feel  certain  that  I 
would  n.t  have  attacked  a  lion,  while  merely  armed  with 
an  assagwi. 

The  Becauanas  have  hut  meagre  conceptions  of  the  value 
of  human  life.  The  poor  wretch  who  had  suffered  from  the 
mangling  cla-rfs  of  the  lion,  was  left  to  writhe  upon  the 
ground — the  Ovher  hunters  evincing  a 'sublime  degree  of 
indifference.  We  were  indignant  as  well  as  shocked,  and 
Mr.  Barrill  dismocnted  to  fulfil  the  office  of  humanity.  He 
wiped  away  the  hlood,  and,  as  soon  as  the  wagons  came 
up,  applied  some  bandages  to  the  wounds,  so  that  the  poor 
fellow  was  enabled  to  resume  his  ostrich  parasol,  and  ac- 
company his  comrades  back  to  their  kraal.  When  I  com- 
pared these  wild  p<aople  with  the  Indians  of  my  native 
plains,  I  ranked  them  far  below  in  every  respect.  They 
seemed  almost  destitute  of  those  feelings  which  are  common 
to  the  rest  of  mankind. 

Crossing  a  ridge  about  ten  miles  from  the  spot  where 
we  had  witnessed  the  combat  between  the  lion  and  the 
Bechuanas,  we  found  ourselves  near  a  charming  river, 
and  in  the  midst  of  vast  herds  of  giraffe,  antelope,  buffaloe, 
gnoos  and  zebras — and  in  fact  all  the  finest  game  of  South 
Africa  seemed  to  have  sent  delegations  to  this  enchant- 
ing country.  Along  the  banks  of  the  clear,  sparkling 
stream,  open  forests  of  mimosa,  acacia,  camelthorn,  and 
willow,  spread  their  rainbow  foliage — flowers  of  all  hues, 


NOVEL  MODE  OF  HUNTING.  173 

glowed  among  the  emerald  grass,  or  bent  lovingly  to  kiss 
the  ripples  away  from  the  surface  of  the  water ;  and  birds 
danced  and  thrilled  the  music  from  their  pretty  throats, 
among  the  the  swaying  limbs.  In  this  fairy-land  we  en- 
camped, and  Mr.  Barrill  decided  to  make  it  the  limit  of 
his  journey.  Here  we  determined  to  spend  a  week  of 
sporting  luxury,  and  complete  our  stock  of  trophies. 

Evening  came  on  in  quiet  majesty,  wearing  one  sweet 
star  upon  her  brow.  Then  the  crescent  moon  appeared,  and 
in  a  pure  sea"~of  light  the  timid  stars  were  dimmed.  Around 
our  little  camp,  the  light  and  shadow  danced  in  fairy 
revelry  and  the  birds  sung  their  lullaby  in  harmony  with 
the  chirp  and  twitter  of  the  insect  world.  But  the  grand 
roar  of  the  king  of  beasts,  swelling  along  the  stream,  shook 
the  delicious  feeling  from  our  souls,  and  filled  us  with  a 
purpose  of  death ;  and  our  rifles  were  prepared  for  service. 
The  bellowing  of  the  buffalo  and  the  cry  of  the  hyena  in- 
creased the  fever  which  had  seized  us.  That  night  we  re- 
solved to  hunt  in  a  novel  way.  We  went  about  two  hun- 
dred yards  from  camp,  near  the  edge  of  the  stream,  and 
selected  two  commanding  mimosas,  each  of  us  mounted 
into  the  branches  of  one,  and  quietly  awaited  the  approach 
of  game  to  drink. 

Our  positions  were  decidedly  uncomfortable.  We  were 
beyond  the  reach  of  lions,  but  an  elephant  or  a  rhinoceros 

might  have  made  sad  work  of  the  trees,   and  we  would 

15* 


174  HUNTING  THE  GIRAFFE. 

have  had  to  be  extremely  agile  to  effect  an  escape  But 
we  resolved  to  be  careful  not  to  provoke  the  anger  of 
such  enemies.  In  about  an  hour  after  we  had  taken 
our  perch,  a  single  giraffe  approached  the  stream,  within 
twenty  yards  of  us.  Its  advance  was  slow  and  cautious, 
and,  by  the  moonlight,  it  looked  like  a  stately  tree 
moving  to  the  stream.  The  noble  animal  at  length 
emerged  from  the  trees,  and  stood  on  the  bank.  Our  rifles 
were  raised,  and  we  were  about  to  pull  the  trigger,  when 
a  tremendous  spriug  brushed  away  the  branches,  and  an 
enormous  lion  was  upon  the  back  of  the  struggling  giraffe, 
tearing  the  flesh  with  its  teeth  and  claws.  In  the  struggle 
the  head  of  the  giraffe  came  near  knocking  me  out  of  the 
tree.  I  told  Mr.  Barrill  to  aim  at  the  head  of  the  giraffe, 
and  I  would  strive  to  bring  down  the  lion,  and  we  fired 
nearly  at  the  same  moment — the  animals  being  within  ten 
feet  of  us.  The  lion  go  his  terrible  hold,  and  uttering  an 
awful  groan,  fell  to  the  ground.  The  giraffe  tottered,  and 
fell  crashing  among  the  trees,  which  upheld  the  animal's 
weight,  although  it  was  still  struggling,  and  I  had  an  op- 
portunity of  firing  a  mortal  shot  into  its  breast.  This 
early  triumph  was  all  we  could  expect  to  achieve  that  night, 
as  the  report  of  the  rifles  would  alarm  the  rest  of  the  game, 
so  we  called  out  for  Carollus  to  come  to  our  aid,  and 
descended  from  the  tree. 

The  Hottentots  brought  two  lanterns.     By  the  light 


ABUNDANCE  OF  GAME.  175 

we  were  enabled  to  make  a  closer  inspection  of  the  animals 
we  had  slain.  The  giraffe  was  a  bull  at  least,  eighteen 
feet  in  height.  His  back  was  torn  and  gashed  by  the 
teeth  and  claws  of  the  lion,  and  the  beautiful  skin  was 
greatly  damaged ;  but  Mr.  Barrill,  nevertheless,  set  to 
work  to  secure  it.  The  lion  was  a  black-maned  individual, 
of  rather  forbidding  aspect,  even  as  he  lay  dead  upon  the 
ground.  I  could  not  lift  the  heavy  paw  without  expe- 
riencing a  degree  of  nervousness,  which  a  hunter  of  my 
practice  should  be  somewhat  ashamed  to  acknowledge. 
The  skinning  operation  lasted  about  half  an  hour,  during 
which  we  were  somewhat  apprehensive  of  the  attack  of 
other  lions  whose  awful  voices  resounded  through  the  forest. 
But  we  were  not  disturbed,  and  soon  afterwards,  we  re- 
turned to  camp,  to  repose  upon  our  laurels. 

The  next  morning,  bright  and  early,  we  were  abroad 
in  the  forest,  not  hunting,  but  selecting  our  game ;  for  we 
killed  on  all  sides,  with  a  rapidity  of  slaughter  I  had  only 
seen  paralleled  in  the  midst  of  a  herd  of  buffaloes,  on  the 
plains  of  my  native  land.  Several  beautiful  varieties  of  ante- 
lopes that  I  had  not  yet  beheld,  fell  before  our  murderous 
rifles ;  an  ostrich  was  killed  not  far  from  the  edge  of  the 
forest ;  the  elephant  and  the  rhinoceros  were  sent  crashing 
through  the  forest,  maddened  by  severe  wounds ;  our  camp 
was  abundantly  supplied  with  eland  and  buffalo  tongues — • 
and  on  these  we  lived  for  a  week — the  happiest  week  of 


176  MALLO  MEETS  WITH  AN  ACCIDENT. 

my  life — a  week  in  the  "  happy  hunting-grounds"  of  which 
the  Indians  dream. 

But  one  accident  occurred  to  mar  the  pleasures  of  this 
period.  One  night,  an  ox  was  seized  by  a  lioness,  and  in 
the  confusion  of  attempting  her  rescue,  Mallo,  the  Hot- 
tentot, received  a  terrible  claw  upon  the  left  arm,  laying 
it  open  to  the  bone.  Although  wounded  by  Mr.  Barrill, 
'  he  ferocious  animal  escaped ;  the  ox  was  disabled  so  far 
Jiat  we  deemed  it  a  mercy  to  shoot  it  through  the  head. 
A.t  length,  the  last  day  of  our  stay  in  this  beautiful 
aunting- region  arrived.  We  found  that  our  wagons  were 
well-stowed  with  all  the  trophies  of  the  chase  in  South 
Africa,  and  we  had  meat  enough  cut  up  and  preserved  to 
last  for  many  days.  During  this  last  day  of  our  encamp- 
ment, Mr.  Barrill  occupied  himself  in  sketching  the  gor- 
geous scenery  around  us.  He  had  a  ready  pencil,  and  his 
productions  were  delightful  transcripts  of  glorious  nature. 
I  superintended  the  arrangements  for  the  return  journey. 
Although  noble  animals  frequently  came  within  range  of 
our  "rifles,  we  let  them  browse  and  drink  in  security. 

At  dawn,  the  next  morning,  the  loud  crack  of  the  whips 
resounded  through  the  forest,  and  the  wagons  started. 
We  merely  remained  to  carve  our  names  in  large  letters 
upon  a  stately  mimosa,  and  then,  with  a  sigh  which  neither 
of  us  had  power  to  restrain,  we  turned  our  horse's  heads 
from  this  land  of  beauty,  and  took  up  the  trail  to  return* 


PROOF  or  MR.  BARRILL'S  FRIENDSHIP.          177 

We  now  designed  to  travel  as  far  as  possible  each  day,  in 
order  to  reach  the  settlements  with  our  train  in  a  good 
condition.     No  incident  of  a  striking  character  occurred 
until  we  reached  the  Kurrichane  mountains,  in  the  vicinity 
of  which  we  found  game  abundant,  and  enjoyed  some 
good  sport.      A  stream  flowing  from  these  mountains, 
happening  to  be  swollen,  we  had  much  difficulty  in  getting 
our  wagons  across  it,  and  I  was  compelled  to  remain  in  the 
cool  water  during  the  greater  part  of  a  day.     This,  and 
the  burning  heat  of  the  sun,  which  was  beating  on  my  head 
at  the  same  time,  brought  on  a  fever,  and  from  that  time, 
until  two  days  after  we  had  passed  the  Orange  river,  I 
suffered  from  the  pangs  of  disease,  being  totally  unable 
to  do  any  thing  but  recline  in  the  wagons,  upon  a  couch 
of  skins.     Could  I  ever  be  too  grateful  to  my  excellent 
friend,  Mr.  Barrill  ?     He  watched  over  me  with  the  un- 
sleeping vigilance  of  a  father,  and  ministered  to  my  wants, 
as  far  as  his  limited  means  would  permit.     He  exhausted 
his  memory  and  invention  in  finding  me  in  those  comforts 
which  the  sick  only  know  how  to  value.     Two  days  after 
passing  the  Orange  river,  I  felt  well  enough  to  take  a 
short  ride  on  horseback,  and  a  few  days  afterwards,  as  we 
crossed  the  sterile  plains  before  described,  I  was  strong 
enough  to  take  my  old  place  beside  my  friend  during  the 
day's  march.     In  the  meantime,  Mr.  Barrill  found  time 
to  indulge  in  a  chase  after  antelopes,  and  added  to  our 


178  PROCEED  TO  GRAHAMSTOWN. 

stock  of  meat.  Near  the  settled  region  he  concluded*  to 
change  the  route  of  return,  and  proceed  to  Grahamstown, 
which  he  knew  to  be  about  six  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  from  Cape  Town.  There  we  arrived,  somewhat 
worn  and  fatigued  in  appearance,  but  in  high  spirits  at 
the  entire  success  of  our  expedition.  The  town,  which 
was  situated  at  the  source  of  the  Cowie  river,  contained 
but  about  three  thousand  inhabitants,  and  as  our  pictu- 
resque train  entered,  the  majority  of  these  turned  out  to 
view  the  procession.  As  we  stopped  before  the  door  of 
the  best  hotel  in  the  town,  a  crowd  of  inquisitive  indivi- 
duals gathered  round  us,  and  when  they  learned  how  suc- 
cessful we  had  been  as  hunters,  far  in  the  Bechuana 
country,  we  received  three  lusty  cheers,  and  found  our- 
selves heroes  for  the  time. 


CHAPTER  XXL 

ARRIVAL  AT  CAPE  TOWN.  SEND  THE  TROPHIES  TO 
ENGLAND.  START  FOR  BOMBAY.  THE  TOWN 
AND  THE  PEOPLE.  AWAY  FOR  THE  FORESTS 
AND  JUNGLES. 

EVER-RESTLESS  life,  who  shall  mark  thy  flitting  changes  ? 
We,  who  had  scarcely  concluded  an  expedition  which 
would  have  served  many  for  the  boast  of  all  their  days, 
were  eager  to  start  for  other  scenes  of  peril.  We  passed 
but  two  days  at  Grahamstown.  On  the  morning  of  the  third 
day,  we  took  the  route  for  Port  Elizabeth,  which  we  reached 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  seventh  day  after  leaving  Gra- 
hamstown. We  found  Port  Elizabeth  to  be  a  town  of 
about  five  hundred  houses,  built  on  the  shore  of  Algoa 
Bay.  It  presented  a  miserable  appearance,  but  we  were 
surprised  to  find  an  excellent  hotel  where  we  could  secure 
fine  accommodations. 

(1T9) 


180  ARRIVE  AT  CAMP. 

At  this  place,  Mr.  Barrill  determined  to  part  from  his 
teams  and  horses ;  and  as  our  Hottentots  had  served  us  with 
a  fidelity,  very  seldom  displayed  by  these  people,  he  pre- 
sented the  teams  to  them,  thus  doubly  paying  them  for 
their  services.  They  expressed  much  regret  at  parting 
with  us,  but  were  overjoyed  at  their  large  reward.  Our 
skins,  horns,  etc.,  were  boxed  at  the  hotel,  and  a  schooner 
then  anchored  in  the  bay,  was  chartered  to  convey  us  and 
them  to  Cape  Town.  We  remained  three  days  at  Port 
Elizabeth,  and  then  sailed,  with  a  fair  wind,  but  a 
rough  sea,  for  the  capital  of  British  Africa.  The  coast 
was  rocky  and  dangerous.  But  the  captain  of  the  schooner 
was  thoroughly  acquainted  with  his  business,  and  the  vessel 
was  a  stout  little  craft ;  and  we  arrived  in  Table  Bay,  three 
days  from  the  time  of  our  sailing  from  the  harbor  of  Port 
Elizabeth. 

A  swift  ship  was  anchored  near  the  town,  which  we  as- 
certained was  to  sail  in  a  few  days  for  Bombay.  Mr.  Barrill 
had  his  baggage  transferred  to  this  vessel,  but  the  boxes 
were  directed  to  one  of  his  friends  in  Liverpool,  and  placed 
on  board  of  a  large  barque  bound  for  that  port.  We 
landed  at  Cape  Town,  and  occupied  the  few  days  leisure 
that  remained  to  us  in  visiting  places  of  note,  and  in  sailing 
excursions  on  the  bay.  The  day  arrived  for  the  com- 
mencement of  the  trip  to  India,  and  found  us  scarcely 
disposed  to  resign  the  pleasures  of  Cape  Town,  for  the 


PROCEED  TO  BRITISH  INDIA.  181 

monotony  of  a  sea  voyage ;  but  we  submitted  gracefully 
and,  soon  after,  we  had  stepped  aboard  of  the  ship,  her 
anchor  was  weighed.  , 

The  voyage  occupied  six  weeks.  During  this  period, 
Mr.  Barrill  and  I  agreeably  employed  ourselves  in  writing 
a  journal  of  the  adventures  we  had  met  with  in  company. 
This  was  done  for  the  sake  of  refreshing  memory  in  after 
years.  My  friend  did  the  writing,  making  duplicates, 
and  I  aided  him  by  jogging  his  memory  and  amplifying 
his  facts.  At  length,  when  the  journal  was  nearly  com- 
pleted, as  far  as  our  expedition  had  proceeded,  we  came 
in  sight  of  the  shores  of  India,  and  after  coasting  a  few 
miles,  we  entered  the  beautiful  harbor  of  Bombay,  diver- 
sified with  rocky  islets  and  crowned  by  a  back-ground  of 
lofty  and  romantic  hills.  The  city,  which  has  long  been 
the  western  capital  of  British  India,  presents  a  dingy,  but 
picturesque  appearance,  when  viewed  from  the  bay.  We 
found  that  it  was  built  on  an  island,  which  is  joined  to  the 
main  land  and  to  another  island,  called  Salsette,  by  cause- 
ways. The  city  consists  of  two  portions,  the  old  town,  at 
the  southeast  extremity  of  which  we  saw  the  castle,  and 
the  new  town,  or  Dungaree.  In  front  of  the  new  city,  we 
saw  the  arsenal,  the  government  house,  a  large  dismal- 
looking  structure,  and  some  capacious  docks,  filled  with 
vessels  of  all  sizes.  The  old  town  is  strongly  fortified,  and 
from  the  bay,  has  an  impregnable  appearance. 

16 


182  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  CITY. 

Entering  the  city,  on  the  afternoon  of  arrival,  I  found 
every  thing  wearing  the  aspect  of  age  and  business.  Some 
of  the  shops  and  warehouses  were  extensive  and  made  a 
fine  display.  The  streets  were  not  straight  by  many  a 
crook,  and  they  contained  a  great  deal  more  than  a  whole- 
some accumulation  of  filth.  The  houses  were  generally 
built  in  the  style  initiated  by  the  Portuguese.  The  upper 
stories  projected  beyond  the  lower ;  and  the  verandahs 
were  supported  on  pillars.  The  roofs  were  sloped  and  tiled. 
I  ascertained  that  the  poor  classes  lived  in  huts  of  clay, 
upon  the  skirts  of  the  city.  Towering  above  all  was  the 
splendid  pagoda  of  Momba  Devi,  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able structures  I  had  yet  beheld. 

In  our  walk  from  the  landing  to  a  hotel,  we  saw  but 
few  whites,  and  most  of  them  were  English  sailors.  The 
people  who  seemed  to  being  doing  all  the  business  were 
Parsees,  a  comely,  tall,  active  race ;  fairer  than  the  other 
natives  ;  mild  in  their  manners,  but  bold  and  persevering 
in  enterprise.  Mr.  Barrill  informed  me  that  they  were  the 
descendants  of  the  Ghebers,  or  fire- worshippers,  of  Persia, 
and  that  they  have  a  number  of  temples  dedicated  to  their 
singular  religion.  Strange  to  say,  these  people  are  gene- 
rally acknowledged  to  be  the  best  provided  and  most  moral 
of  all  the  natives  of  India.  The  Hindoos  and  the  Ma- 
homedans  attracted  my  attention  by  the  peculiar  charac- 
ter of  their  costume.  The  former  had  an  extremely  de- 


HINDOO  PORTERS.  183 

graded  appearance.     Two  of  them  were  engaged  to  bring 
our  baggage  to  our  stopping-place  under  my  direction. 

Inquiring  of  an  English  sailor  as  to  the  best  public 
house  in  the  city,  Mr.  Barrill  was  directed  up  the  prin- 
pal  street,  about  half  a  mile  from  the  landing,  where  we 
found  a  large  house,  built  in  the  style  of  hotels  in  the 
western  cities  of  America.  Mr.  Barrill  remained  there, 
while  I  accompanied  the  Hindoo  porters  to  the  wharf  to 
secure  our  baggage.  These  individuals  were  much  stronger 
and  more  active  than  I  had  supposed  from  their  appear- 
ance. But  they  had  a  dark  reputation  for  pilfering,  and 
it  was  necessary  to  follow  their  movements  with  both  eyes 
set  keen,  to  maintain  the  inviolability  of  the  baggage. 
However,  it  was  safely  stowed  away  in  Mr.  Barrill's  room 
before  night,  and  we  were  once  more  completely  established 
upon  dry  land. 

Our  entertainment  was  of  tolerable  quality,  and  as  we 
were  willing  to  be  pleased,  we  were  satisfied.  The»next 
morning  after  our  arrival,  we  took  a  walk,  to  see  the  fea- 
tures of  the  city  and  make  inquiries  in  regard  to  the 
route  to  the  region  where  the  elephant,  rhinoceros,  and  the 
royal  tiger  could  be  found.  Bombay  differed  in  so  many 
respects  from  all  the  cities  I  had  yet  visited  that  my  curi- 
osity was  greatly  excited  as  we  proceeded  through  the 
streets.  The  singular,  but  solemn,  architecture  of  some 
of  the  temples  strongly  impressed  my  fancy,  while  the 


Ik*  LEAVE   BOMBAY. 

novel  occupations  and  the  picturesque  costumes  of  the 
people,  afforded  me  continual  subject  of  remark.  As  officers 
cf  the  army  in  India  are  famed  for  their  sporting  propen- 
sities, Mr.  Barrill,  naturally  enough,  sought  an  acquain- 
tance with  some  of  them.  At  a  hotel,  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  dingy-looking  barracks,  we  had  the  good  fortune  to 
meet  a  lieutenant,  who  had  travelled  through  upper  India, 
who  was  well  acquainted  with  theroute  usually  followed,  and 
the  regions  where  game  was  known  to  abound.  Mr.  Barrill 
at  once  introduced  himself,  and  requested  the  favor  of  the 
lieutenant's  company  to  dinner.  The  invitation  was  ac- 
cepted. Dinner  was  served  in  a  private  room,  and  after 
the  cloth  had  been  removed,  the  -lieutenant,  in  an  easy, 
but  precise  way,  communicated  a  vast  amount  of  the  kind 
of  information  we  desired. 

The  next  day  we  made  our  equipment  in  accordance 
with  the  advice  we  received — engaged  two  Parsee  servants 
who  were  blieved  to  be  more  trust-worthy  than  the  Hin- 
loos,  and  who  could  speak  good  english — purchased  four 
horses  reccommended  for  speed  and  endurance,  and  secured 
an  abundance  of  amunition.  One  more  day  was  passed 
in  Bombay  to  make  arrangements  for  the  transportation  of 
our  baggage,  which  did  not  occupy  much  room,  and  in 
getting  some  clothing  suited  to  the  warm  climate  of  the 
country,  and  then,  we  started  from  Bombay.  Each  horse 
was  compelled  to  carry  a  portion  of  our  baggage — the 


LEAVE  BOMBAY.  185 

heaviest  articles  being  placed  in  bags,  on  those  which  the 
Parsees  rode,  so  that  in  case  of  a  chase,  our  horses  should 
be  as  little  incommoded  as  possible.  In  the  order  of  two 
abreast.  Mr.  Barrill  and  I  leading,  we  left  the  city,  and 
before  noon  we  were  some  miles  upon  our  way  to  the  hunt- 
ing-grounds of  India. 


16* 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  ROUTE.  INCIDENTS  OF  THE  JOURNEY.  VARIED 
'SCENERY.  ARRIVAL  IN  THE  REGION  OF  THE 
TIGER  AND  THE  ELEPHANT.  OUR  FIRST  ELE- 
PHANT HUNT  IN  INDIA. 

OUR  destination  was  the  province  called  Guzerat,  which 
is  a  large  peninsula  northwest  of  Bombay.  We  could 
have  proceeded  thither  in  a  short  time  bj  sea,  but  Mr. 
Barrill  took  the  circuitous  land  route,  in  order  to  see  the 
country.  At  the  end  of  the  first  day's  journey  we  en 
camped  at  the  base  of  a  range  of  mountains — the  height 
of  which  I  supposed  was  fifteen  hundred  feet.  These 
mountains  extend  entirely  through  western  India.  In  the 
vicinity  of  our  encampment,  they  were  steep  and  stony.  On 
all  sides  were  forests  of  bamboo,  presenting  a  straighter 
and  more  regular  aspet,  than  any  woodland  I  had  ever 
(186) 


HINDOO  HABITS.  187 

beheld.  Our  encampment  was  of  a  very  simple  description 
Along  the  banks  of  a  stream  flowing  from  the  mountain, 
was  an  open,  grassy  level.  There  we  kindled  a  large  fire 
of  dried  bamboo,  and  made  seats  of  piles  of  the  same 
wood.  Our  horses  were  tied  to  stakes,  about  ten  feet  from 
the  fire,  having  a  short  range  to  feed.  Our  Parsees 
had  found  their  own  provisions — rice  comprising  nine 
tenths  of  their  stock.  We  had  a  supply  of  boiled  rice, 
but  dried  beef,  and  biscuit  were  our  chief  articles  of  food. 
Most  of  the  Hindoo  servants  refused  to  eat  in  the  com- 
pany of  foreigners,  on  account  of  their  religious  notions. 
But  we  found  the  Parsees  to  be  less  scrupulous.  The 
night  was  clear  and  starry,  but  rather  chilly,  and  we  had 
no  hesitation  in  wrapping  ourselves  in  blankets.  For 
an  hour  and  a  half  our  meal  had  been  despatched  we  con- 
versed with  our  servants,  gleaning  as  much  information 
as  we  could  in  regard  to  their  manners  and  customs.  They 
were  very  sociable,  but  their  business  turn  of  mind  was 
evident  in  their  economy  of  words  when  answering  our  en- 
quiries. Having  instructed  the  Parsees  in  reference  to 
the  neccessity  of  keeping  a  strict  guard,  as  we  heard  that 
robbers  occasionally  committed  depredations  in  these 
mountains,  we  stretched  ourselves  for  repose. 
.  My  first  night  in  the  forests  of  India,  was  spent  in  sound, 
secure  sleep,  such  as  I  had  been  wont  to  enjoy  far  away 
upon  the  prairies  of  America,  with  no  companion  but  my 


188  ARRIVE  AT  JOWAUR. 

rifle.     The  stars  had  scarcely  began  to  pale  before  the 
advancing  light  of  day,  when  Mr.  Barrill  shook  me  awake, 
the  morning  meal  was  soon  dispatched,  and  the  camp  was 
broken  up.  Skirting  the  forest,  our  route  brought  us,  early 
in  the  forenoon,  to  the  town  of  Calianee,  a  miserable-looking 
place  situated  on  a  very  pretty  stream.     There  we  dined, 
and  then  forded  the  stream.     Upon  the  opposite  side,  the 
country  generally  ascended,  and  was  broken  and  stony. 
But  we  journeyed  without  difficulty,  and,  after  crossing 
the  ridge,  found  ourselves  near  another  small  town,  called 
Maundvee.     There  we  arrived  shortly  after  dark,  and, 
after  the  fatigues  of  the  day,  enjoyed  the  miserable  ac- 
commodation offereed.  Here,  we  ascertained  that  we  should 
have  to  travel  at  least  fifty  miles  before  reaching  the  next 
town,  which  was  called  Gorah.     It  was  also  stated  that 
tigers  had  been  occasionally  seen  in  the  extensive  forests 
that  intervened.     This  was  thrilling  news.     But  the  next 
day  we  travelled  through  the  e*ntire  region  without  meeting 
any  animal  larger  than  a  jungle  fowl,  which  we  shot. 

At  the  assemblage  of  clay  and  bamboo  huts  called  Gorah, 

* 
rested  a  little,  to  allow  our  horses  to  recruit  their  strength. 

Resuming  our  journey,  we  skirted  the  forest  at  the  base 
of  the  mountain,  and  as  night  closed  down,  found  ourselves 
at  the  lofty  town  of  Jowaur,  situated  nearly  on  the  summit 
of  the  range,  and  visible  .at  the  distance  of  many  miles. 
Here  we  obtained  tolerable  accommodations,  although  the 

14* 


INDIA  SCENERY.  189 

inhabitants  had  a  brigandish,  treacherous  look,  which 
caused  us  to  pass  a  sleepless  night,  and  to  hurry  away  at 
dawn.  This  town  could  be  made  almost  impregnable. 

Descending  the  mountain,  we  held  our  course  north- 
westerly for  Sudjun,  a  town  situated  upon  the  coast.  The 
country  presented  the  contrast  of  open  sandy  plains  and 
dark-green  forests  of  bamboo,  that  tree  seeming  to  be  uni- 
versal in  this  region.  But  there  was  a  gradual  descent  to 
the  coast,  and  our  road  was  easy ;  and  after  a  day's  mo- 
notonous ride,  we  came  in  sight  of  the  sea  near  Sudjun. 
The  town  was  composed  almost  entirely  of  the  clay  and 
bamboo  huts,  so  common  in  this  part  of  India.  Here  we 
enjoyed  a  view  of  one  of  the  most  gorgeous  sunsets  I  had 
ever  beheld.  Mr.  Barrill  and  I  were  sitting  at  the  door 
of  the  largest  bamboo  house  in  the  town,  which  was  situ- 
ated about  three  hundred  yards  from  the  beach.  The 
evening  was  rather  cloudy ;  and  the  sun  which  had  blazed 
all  day  with  almost  intolerable  radiance,  was  now  shorn 
of  his  beams,  and  his  fiery  orb  seemed  about  to  be  quenched 
for  ever  by  the  gale-driven  clouds ;  but  he  struggled  ma- 
jestically among  them,  and  flashes  of  his  glory  occasionally 
scattered  the  gloomy  assailants.  Slowly,  he  sank  in  the 
waves,  flinging  to  the  very  beach  a  column  of  light,  and 
as  his  golden  head  disappeared,  the  clouds  were  struck 
into  bars  by  his  farewell  beam. 

The  night  was  raw  and  windy,  and  we  were  glad  to  re- 


190  REACH  GUNDAREE. 

tire  early,  even  in  the  filthy  house  opened  for  our  accom- 
modation. The  next  morning  was  windy,  but  clear.  We 
started  at  dawn,  and  rode  along  in  almost  constant  view 
of  the  sea.  Gundaree,  the  next  town  on  our  route  was  known 
to  be  at  the  distance  of  two  day's  journey,  so  that  we  ex- 
pected to  pass  another  night  in  the  forest.  Before  noon 
we  crossed  a  small  stream  and  found  ourselves  in  a  hilly 
country — covered  with  a  straggling  forest  of  bamboo,  and 
wearing  a  most  desolate  aspect.  We  killed  a  few  jungle 
fowls  and  some  small  birds  of  beautiful  plumage,  but  we 
saw  nothing  of  the  game  we  -sought.  At  night,  we  en- 
camped on  the  banks  of  a  stream,  about  three  miles  from 
the  sea,  and,  as  we  counted,  about  twenty  miles  from 
Gundaree.  * 

The  jungle  fowls  were  real  additions  to  our  supper — but 
we  still  mourned  the  absence  of  the  noble  game,  to  en- 
counter which  we  had  ventured  thus  far.  In  the  after- 
noon of  the  next  day,  we  reached  Gundaree,  which  was 
situated  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  and  presented  a 
neat  appearance — at  a  distance.  The  inhabitants  were 
wretched,  indolent  people,  who  did  not  seem  to  have  an 
idea  beyond  the  gratification  of  a  moment.  Here  we 
rested  for  the  night.  An  old  man,  in  whose  bamboo  house 
we  were  allowed  to  be  tortured  during  that  period,  in- 
formed us  that  northward  of  this  town  we  might  expect 
to  see  the  elephant,  the  tiger,  the  rhinoceros,  the  lion,  and 


FIRST  ELEPHANT  HUNT  IN  INDIA.  191 

many  other  varieties  of  Indian  game,  and  our  hearts 
beat  high  with  hope  of  what  the  morrow  might  bring  forth. 
For  my  own  part,  I  was  weary  of  the  monotonous  travel- 
ing that  had  been  our  lot  since  we  left  Bombay. 

The  next  morning  we  started  in  the  full  expectation  of 
making  the  day  memorable  by  an  exploit.  We  struck  the 
mountains  and  kept  along  their  base,  as  nearly  as  the 
forest,  which  here  began  to  be  extremely  thick  and  luxu- 
riant, would  permit.  We  had  not  proceeded  more  than 
five  miles,  when,  upon  hearing  like  a  crashing  noise  a 
short  distance  in  advance,  we  came  to  a  halt,  dismounted, 
gave  the  bridles  of  our  horses  to  our  Parsees,  and  stole 
forward  cautiously  to  reconnoitre.  The  noise  ceased  al- 
most at  the  same  moment,  as  if  our  proximity  was  scented. 
This  caused  us  to  move  more  noiselessly,  and  to  watch 
more  keenly  for  the  appearance  of  the  animal.  I  first  saw 
the  traces  of  an  elephant  in  the  broken  branches  of  the 
trees,  which  strewed  the  ground  in  front;  and  on 
suddenly  emerging  from  the  thick  forest,  into  what  greatly 
resembled  a  park,  we  beheld  a  single  elephant,  engaged 
in  twisting  branches  from  a  stately  palm,  within  about 
seventy  yards  from  where  we  stood.  As  we  stood  behind 
some  luxuriant  bushes,  we  could  see  through  their  thick 
foliage  without  being  seen,  and  we  aimed  with  coolness 
and  precision,  Mr.  Barrill,  at  the  elephant's  shoulder,  and 
I  at  one  of  his  eyes.  Flash — bang  !  and  we  ran  back  to 


192  ELEPHANTS  IN  INDIA. 

our  horses  with  the  precipitancy  of  men  who  know  that 
they  have  a  monster  enemy  in  their  rear,  Mr.  Barrill  was 
in  advance,  when  I,  being  rather  too  careless  of  my  steps, 
fell  into  a  hole,  made  by  the  burrowing  of  some  animal, 
and  before  I  could  get  up,  I  heard  the  elephant  within  a 
few  yards  of  me.  At  this  dreadful  moment,  I  retained 
my  presence  of  mind ;  and  as  the  bleeding  monster  emerged 
from  the  bushes,  I  fired  the  contents  of  my  second  barrel 
into  his  eye,  and  he  fell  forward  with  a  mighty  crash,  his 
enormous  tusks  almost  impaling  one  of  my  legs.  In  an 
instant  I  was  upon  my  feet,  and  engaged  in  reloading  my 
rifle.  But  the  elephant  was  fully  paid — he  did  not  even 
groan. 

I  shouted  for  victory,  and  my  friend  was  soon  at  my 
side.  The  Parsees  came  up  last,  uttering  many  expres- 
sions of  alarm  and  astonishment.  All  congratulated  me 
on  my  narrow  escape  from  the  tusks  of  the  elephant,  as 
well  as  upon  my  courage  in  facing  the  wounded  monster. 
In  examining  the  wounds  of  the  animal,  we  found  that 
although  my  first  shot  had  not  reached  the  brain,  the 
second  had  entered  deep.  Mr.  Ban-ill's  shot  had  entered 
the  lungs. 

The  elephant  of  India  differs  in  many  respects  from  the 
elephant  of  South  Africa.  The  head  is  more  oblong,  and 
the  forehead  presents,  in  the  centre,  a  deep  concavity  be- 
tween two  lateral  and  rounded  elevations ;  that  of  the 


BEAUTIFUL  SCENERY  193 

African  being  rounded  and  convex  in  all  its  parts.  The 
ears  of  the  Asiatic  elephant  descend  no  lower  than  its 
neck,  while  the  African  is  furnished  with  ears  which  de- 
scend to  its  legs.  The  Asiatic  has  four  distinct  toes  on 
its  hind  feet,  while  the  African  has  but  three.  As  regards 
size,  it  is  generally  believed  that  the  difference  is  in  favor 
of  the  Asiatic  animal.  Our  prize  was  a  full-grown  bull — 
of  the  kind  called  by  the  Parsees  gaja  sallungal,  which 
differ  from  other  elephants  by  wandering  singly,  or  in 
herds  of  two  or  three.  The  tusks  were  about  three  feet 
in  length,  and  Mr.  Barrill  said  they  would  bring  a  good 
price  at  the  next  town.  These  were  secured,  and  leaving 
the  carcass  of  the  elephant  to  the  hyenas,  of  whose  proxi- 
mity we  did  not  doubt,  we  resumed  our  route. 

The  day  was  sultry,  but  as  we  travelled  almost  entirely 
beneath  the  luxuriant  foliage  of  the  forest,  which  here  ex- 
celled even  the  groves  of  Africa  in  freshness  and  delicious 
variety,  we  did  not  suffer  much  from  the  heat.  The  same 
night  we  reached  the  town  of  Domus,  on  the  shores  of  the 
bay,  into  which  enters  the  Taptee  river,  and  there  we 
concluded  to  give  our  wearied  animals  the  rest  of  a  day, 
although  we  knew  that  the  city  of  Surat,  was  within  about 
twenty  miles. 

IT 


CHAPTER  XXin. 

DOMUS.  SURAT.  THE  NATURE  OF  THE  JUNGLES 
BEYOND.  A  BOA  CONSTRICTOR.  A  TIGER.  A 
LION.  TERRIBLE  CONFLICT.  A  BANYAN  TREE. 

AT  Domus,  Mr.  Barrill  disposed  of  his  tusks  to  a  Parsee 
merchant,  for  about  one-half  the  price  he  could  have 
obtained  if  he  had  conveyed  them  to  Surat.  But  he  was 
glad  to  ged  rid  of  the  burden.  Domus  was  a  small  town. 
The  inhabitants  were  courteous  enough,  but  we  understood 
that  some  of  them  were  strongly  suspected  of  being  en- 
gaged in  piracy.  Our  servants  informed  us  that  the 
Parsees  were  very  numerous  in  the  country  northward, 
and  their  enterprise  was  the  chief  source  of  its  prosperity. 

At  noon  the  second  day  after  our  arrival  at  Domus,  we 
came  within  sight  of  the  celebrated  city  of  Surat.  Its 
towers  and  pagodas  gave  it  an  imposing  appearance  at  a 

aw) 


CITY  OF  SURAT.  195 

distance,  but  as  we  approached  the  walls  age  and  decay 
were  strikingly  evident.  This  city  is  situated  on  the 
Taptee,  about  twenty  miles  from  the  point  where  the 
mouth,  or  bay,  empties  into  the  gulf  of  Cambay.  It  is 
about  six  miles  in  circumference,  and  shaped  like  a  bow, 
the  cord  being  the  Taptee,  having  near  its  centre,  a  small 
castle  garrisoned  bya  few  sepoys  and  Europeans.  On  other 
sides,  the  town  is  surrounded  by  a  wall,  flanked  with  semi- 
circular towers.  Without  the  walls  we  found  some  good 
European  houses,  formerly  occupied  by  the  French,  but 
now,  the  residence  of  English  officers;  but  the  houses 
within  the  town  were  very  inferior,  consisting  only  of 
timber  frames  filled  up  with  bricks,  their  upper  stories 
projecting  over  each  other.  The  streets  were  narrow  and 
irregular.  Only  small  boats,  called  ketches,  can  ascend 
the  river  to  Surat — yet  the  city  once  had  a  very  extensive 
commerce. 

We  remained  three  days  in JSurat.  During  this  period, 
Mr.  Barrill  made  some  valuable  acquaintance  among  the 
English,  and  purchased  some  small  articles  which  he 
deemed  necessary  for  our  comfort.  We  found  that  nearly 
all  the  business  of  the  city  was  carried  on  by  the  Parsees — 
the  Hindoos  being  generally  as  indolent  -  as  they  were 
superstitious.  The  English  and  the  Mahommedans  made 
up  the  remainder  of  the  population.  I  was  not  sorry  when 
the  time  came  for  leaving  this  ancient  city,  for  life  there 


196  JUNGLES  OF  INDIA 

had  dull  and  uninteresting  features  ;  and  when,  upon  a 
warm,  bright  morning,  we  rode  away  from  the  dingy  walls, 
the  sight  of  the  dark-green  foliage  of  the  forests  was  re- 
freshing to  my  eyes.  About  five  miles  from  the  city  we 
entered  upon  jungle  land. 

There  is  a  very  erroneous  idea  of  a  jungle  among  those 
who  have  never  visited  India.  The  word  is  generally 
supposed  to  mean  a  luxuriant  thicket ;  but  in  India,  every 
patch  of  wild,  uncultivated  country,  whether  forest  or 
grassy  plain,  is  designated  as  jungle.  The  country  through 
which  we  now  began  to  travel  was  generally  level  or  un- 
dulating, the  Ghaut  range  of  mountains  terminating  below 
Surat.  It  was  very  thinly  settled,  and  for  miles  we  could 
ride  over  open  grassy  plains,  or  through  forests  of  palm, 
bamboo,  and  other  Indian  trees.  We  kept  almost  constantly 
in  sight  of  the  Gulf  of  Cambay. 

On  approaching  a  patch  of  forest  rather  thicker  than 
any  we  had  seen  since  leaving  Surat,  one  of  the  Parsees 
who  was  riding  near  me,  called  out  that  he  saw  a  large 
serpent,  lying  coiled  up  near  the  edge.  Curious,  yet 
doubtful,  as  to  the  propriety  of  advancing,  we  checked  our 
horses,  and  began  to  examine  the  object  pointed  out  by 
the  Parsee.  We  were  about  two  hundred  yards  from  the 
first  trees  of  the  forest.  Upon  the  ground,  between  two 
tall  palms,  I  saw  a  huge  coiled  mass  of  brilliant  colors,  one 
portion  being  much  more  bulky  than  the  rest ;  but  I  could 


CONFLICT  BETWEEN  AN  ICHNEUMON  AND  A  COBRA  DI 
CAPELLO. 


DISCOVER  A  BOA  CONSTRICTOR.  197 

not  believe  it  to  be  a  snake.  Mr.  Barrill  pulled  out  his 
pocket  glass,  and  after  a  moment's  attentive  examination, 
pronounced  the  object  a  large  boa,  distended  by  an 
enormous  meal,  and,  most  probably,  in  a  torpid  state. 
Without  waiting  for  our  decision,  the  Parsee,  who  had 
first  discovered  the  monster,  rode  slowly  up  towards  it, 
with  his  gun  ready  for  a  shot.  A  cold  thrill  ran  through 
my  veins  as  I  watched  him  with  straining  eyes.  He  had 
got  within  twenty  yards,  when  the  serpent  moved,  and 
reared  its  head,  as  if  to  observe  who  dared  to  molest  its  terri- 
ble majesty.  The  Parsee  checked  his  horse  and  fired  at 
the  throat  of  the  monster,  taking  care  to  put  spurs  to  his 
horse  immediately  afterwards,  and  hurry  back  to  us.  On 
receiving  the  ball,  the  head  of  the  serpent  fell.  But  the 
writhing  of  the  body  convinced  us  that  it  was  still  alive 
and  formidable.  Once  more  the  head  was  raised,  and,  with 
the  sure  aim  of  a  Rocky  Mountain  hunter,  I  fired  the  con- 
tents of  both  barrels  into  it,  mangling  it  terribly.  Still 
the  twisting  of  the  body  continued,  and  one  of  the  Parsees 
then  took  a  hatchet  from  one  of  the  packs,  and  advanced 
cautiously,  but  with  wonderful  intrepidity  to  the  close  as- 
sault. He  was  within  a  few  feet  of  the  monster — a  sugg — 
sugg,  sounded  in  our  ears,  and  the  brave  fellow  shouted 
that  we  might  approach  without  fear. 

We  advanced  and  beheld  the  splendid  horror  of  a  huge 

boa  constrictor's  form.     For  a  few  minutes,  Mr.  Barrill 

17* 


198  KILL  THE  BOA  CONSTRICTOR. 

and  I  stood  in  utter  amazement,  yet  in  admiration.  The 
whole  of  the  enormous  body — about  twenty-five  feet  in 
length — was  covered  with  gorgeous  hues,  to  which  the 
flowing  blood  was  but  a  glowing  addition.  Mr.  Barrill 
repeated  these  lines : 

A 

Fold  above  fold,  surprising  maze,  his-head 
Crested  aloft,  and  carbuncle  his  eyes, 
With  burnished  neck  of  verdant  gold,  erect, 
Amid  his  circling  spires  that  on  the  grass 
Floated  redundant. 

Yet  the  head,  mangled  by  our  shot,  looked  horrible,  and, 
as  we  saw  the  distention  of  the  enormous  meal,  the  horns 
of  an  animal  being  plainly  marked,  we  thought  of  our 
narrow  escape  from  the  serpent's  jaws,  and  the  feeling  of 
admiration  gave  way  to  a  cold  thrill  of  disgust.  The 
Parsee,  who  had  so  bravely  handled  the  hatchet,  now  cut 
open  the  serpent,  where  the  victimized  animal  appeared, 
and  we  were  further  disgusted  by  the  sight  of  a  half-di- 
gested stag.  How  such  a  large  animal,  or  even  the  horns, 
had  passed  through  the  small  throat  I  saw,  was  a  matter 
of  wonder  to  me — since  the  neck  appeared  many  times  less 
in  bulk.  Mr.  Barrill  turned  away  from  the  sight  of  the 
d£ad  monster,  ordering  the  Parsees  to  secure  the  skin  for 
him.  We  retired  to  a  short  distance,  while  the  operation 
was  being  performed — Mr.  Barrill  enlarging,  meanwHle, 
upon  the  extreme  necessity  of  keeping  a  vigilant  eye  a 


JUNGLES  OF  INDIA.  199 

us  during  our  march  through  a  country  haunted  by  such 
terrible  reptiles.  I  did  not  need  the  advice ;  for  I  now 
entertained  a  greater  dread  of  these  serpents  than  of  any 
monster  I  had  ever  encountered.  I  would  sooner  have 
faced  a  lion  and  a  tiger  at  the  same  moment,  than  have 
put  myself  within  the  lightning  dart  of  a  boa. 

The  Parsees  concluded  the  skinning  operation  in  about 
a  quarter  of  an  hour,  and  returned,  with  the  beautiful 
prize,  wrapped  in  a  cloth.  Mr.  Barrill  said  it  could  be 
prepared  for  preservation  at  the  next  town.  Proceeding 
on  our  route,  we  passed  through  the  less  luxuriant  jungles, 
near  the  sandy  shore  of  the  gulf,  and  early  in  the  after- 
noon, reached  the  small  town  of  Elaw,  situated  on  the 
northern  side  of  a  shallow  creek.  Here  the  heat 
of  the  sun  was  oppressive.  But  we  secured  the  best 
lodgings  the  town  coulcl  afford — a  bamboo  shelter,  alive 
with  pestering  insects — stretched  and  cleansed  the  boa  skin, 
and  alarmed  the  gaping  Hindoos  with  a  terrific  recital  of 
our  adventure.  In  their  turn  they  opened  our  eyes,  by 
assuring  us  that  tigers,  lions,  and  other  large  animals 
abounded  in  the  jungles  between  Elaw  and  Baroche — a 
city  on  the  Nerbudda  river.  They  expressed  their  amaze- 
ment, when  we  stated  that  we  were  anxious  to  encounter 
the  most  ferocious  animals  of  their  country,  and  particu- 
larly intimated  that  we  were  wofully  ignorant  of  the  tiger's 
daringand  activity.  But  when  we  told  them  of  some  of  our 


200  JUNGLES  OF  INDIA. 

hunting  exploits  in  South  Africa,  some  of  the  boldest  of 
them  offered  to  accompany  us  on  our  journey  to  Baroche. 
As  they  found  their  own  weapons — long  spears  and 
shields — and  did  their  best  in  obtaining  provisions  for  us, 
we  acquiesced,  and  when  we  set  out  the  next  morning,  ten 
stout  Hindoos  marched  in  couples  between  us  and  our 
Parsees. 

The  jungle  was  beautiful  and  luxuriant — the  dark- 
green  foliage  of  the  bamboo  contrasting  finely  with  the 
lighter  verdure  of  the  palm  and  the  blossoms  of  nume- 
rous other  trees  for  which  I  had  no  name.  The  encounter 
of  the  day  before  had  left  an  impression  not  easily  effaced, 
and  we  took  care  to  avoid,  as  far  as  we  could,  consistently 
with  our  designs  upon  the  game,  the  thickest  jungle,  where 
it  was  difficult  to  see  beyond  a  few  yards  on  each  side. 
The  Hindoos  were  all  eye  as  they 'marched,  and  I  thought, 
that  each  moment,  one  of  them  shuddered  as  if  he  expected 
the  terrible  tiger  to  spring  from  the  bushes  and  dash  him 
to  the  ground.  We  had  proceeded  about  six  or  seven 
miles,  without  meeting  with  any  animals,  deemed  worthy 
of  our  rifles,  and  were  growing  more  confident  in  our 
march.  Mr.  Barrill  and  I  had  fallen  into  conversation 
about  the  contrast  between  the  forests  of  India  and  South 
Africa,  when  a  tremendous  roar,  and  the  shrieks  of  the 
Hindoos,  rang  fearfully  in  our  ears,  and  brought  our  shud- 
dering horses  to  a  halt.  The  case  flashed  on  our  eyes  .as 


A  THRILLING  SCENE.  201 

we  turned.  The  Parsees  stood  as  if  paralyzed — the  Hin- 
doos shrieked  and  danced,  and  seemed  senseless  with 
fright.  Hurrying  away  through  the  jungle  we  could  oc- 
casionally catch  a  glimpse  of  the  striped  back  of  a  tiger  ! 
and  a  faint  shriek  told  us  what  he  had  dared  to  seize  foi 
his  meal.  Humanity  and  our  own  burning  thirst  for  dis- 
tinction in  this  region,  new  to  us,  banished  all  feelings  uf 
dread,  and  we  started  away,  with  ready  rifles  in  pursuit, 
the  rest  of  the  party  following,  not  knowing  what  else  to 
do  for  safety.  The  tiger  had  disappeared  beneath  the 
thick  foliage  of  the  bushes,  and  the  cessation  of  the  victim's 
shrieks  left  us  no  clue  to  the  ferocious  animal's  whereabouts. 
When  suddenly,  within  about  fifty  yards,  sounded  the  tre- 
mendous voice  of  a  lion — a  sound  we  could  never  forget ; 
and  a  succession  of  awful  growls,  snaps,  and  loud  rustles 
among  the  bushes,  led  us  to  believe  that  the  two  tyrants  of 
the  forests  were  contending  for  the  mastery.  Anxious  to 
gain  a  view  of  such  a  fearful  struggle,  we  pressed  forward, 
till  emerging  from  a  clump  of  bushes,  we  beheld  almost 
at  our  horse's  feet,  the  lion  and  tiger  rolling  over  and  over, 
in  a  conflict  which  only  death  could  interrupt.  The  man- 
gled Hindoo  was  lying  senseless  upon  his  face,  within  a 
few  yards  of  the  ferocious  combatants.  We  did  not  fire, 
but  reserved  our  bullets  till  the  conflict  should  destroy 
one  of  the  beasts. 

It  was  a  horrible  struggle.     The  tiger  was  quite  as  large 


202  CONFLICT  BETWEEN  A  LION  AND  TIGER. 

as  the  lion,  and  much  quicker  in  his  movements.  But 
the  lion  showed  a  decided  superiority  of  strength,  and  his 
great  mane  effectually  covered  his  head.  Still  his  back 
and  sides  were  torn  by  the  tiger's  claws,  and  for  some 
minutes  the  contest  was  doubtful.  Both  possessed  equal 
courage  and  determination,  and  no  disposition  was  evinced 
to  have  a  drawn  battle.  It  was  one  of  the  compensations 
of  nature.  The  tyrants  of  the  woods,  who  had  so  long 
preyed  upon  the  weaker  animals,  were  now  paying  each 
other  in  due  form.  Draw  near,  ye  ghosts  of  mangled 
cattle,  stags  and  lesser  beasts,  to  gloat  over  your  revenge  ! 
Our  prescence  seemed  a  matter  of  indifference  to  the  com- 
batants, so  intent  were  they  in  that  struggle  of  strength 
and  activity.  But  the  endurance  of  the  lion  prevailed — 
seizing  the  tiger  by  the  throat,  he  turned  it  on  its  back, 
and  with  his  strong  claws  tore  open  its  belly,  and,  thus 
put  an  end  to  its  ferocious  life.  Hail,  king  of  beasts, 
for  so  thou  art !  This  had  scarcely  been  achieved  when 
simultaneous  balls  from  our  rifles,  stretched  the  lion  beside 
the  foe  whom  he  had  vanquished,  and  their  blood  mingled 
among  the  grass. 

We  immediately  dismounted,  hastened  to  the  wounded 
Hindoo,  while  his  companions  busied  themselves  in  striking 
their  spears  into  the  helpless  tiger — and  patting  the  head 
of  the  lion.  Raising  the  poor  fellow,  we  found  that  he 
was  so  dreadfully  bitten  and  torn  about  the  throat  and 


TIGER  OF  ASIA.  203 

breast,  that  his  chance  of  living  was  but  small.  He  could 
not  speak.  After  a  short  time  spent  in  reeking  their 
cowardly  vengeance  on  the  tiger,  his  Hindoo  companions 
said  that  they  had  quite  enough  of  hunting  tigers  on  foot, 
and  that  they  would  take  the  wounded  man  back  to  Elaw 
as  quickly  as  possible.  Mr.  Barrill  agreed  with  them  that 
it  was  the  best  course  they  could  pursue,  and  gave  them 
the  skin  of  the  tiger  to  take  with  them  as  a  kind  compen- 
sation for  their  fright.  They  constructed  a  rude  litter  of 
branches,  on  which  they  laid  their  wounded  companion — 
then  skinned  the  tiger — cutting  off  his  head — while  our 
Parsees  were  skinning  the  lion,  and  then  bade  us  adieu. 

The  lion  was  not  as  large  as  those  we  had  killed  in 
Africa — His  skin  was  of  a  yellowish  hue,  the*  mane  being 
some  shades  deeper.  In  other  respects,  there  seemed  to 
be  no  difference  between  the  lions  of  Asia  and  Africa. 
The  tiger  was  a  beautiful  animal,  the  skin  being  striped 
as  splendidly  as  that  of  .the  African  zebra.  The  form 
resembled  that  of  the  common  cat.  The  eyes  were  of  a 
greenish  grey  color,  having  a  ferocious  glare — and  the 
appearance  of  the  teeth  and  claws  was  enough  to  send  a 
thrill  of  terror  through  a  person  of  timid  nerves.  The  roar 
of  this  monster,  which  was  the  first  intelligence  of  his  pre- 
sence we  had  received,  resembled  that  of  the  lion,  but  was 
not  so  deep  and  grand.  When  enraged  as  it  was  during  the 
conflict  with  the  lion,  it  makes  a  shrill  cry  which  pierces 


204      „  ,          THE  BANYAN  TREE. 

the  ear  in  a  most  disagreeable  way.  Taking  up  our  lion's 
skin,  we  remounted  our  horses,  and  continued  our  route 
towards  Baroche.  We  were  in  tolerable  spirits — gratified 
at  having  witnessed  a  singular  conflict  between  the  tyrants 
of  the  forest  and  seen  them  both  laid  low — but  sorry  for 
the  disaster,  of  which  our  sporting  adventures  had  been, 
in  some  degree,  the  cause.  On  the  banks  of  a  small 
stream  about  a  mile  in  advance  of  the  sanguinary  spot,  we 
came  upon  a  banyan  tree  of  immense  size.  We  had  seen 
numerous  small  specimens  of  this  wonderful  tree  during 
our  journey  ;  but  this  was  the  first  time  we  had  ever  be- 
held it  in  its  majesty.  It  had  at  least  five  hundred  trunks 
besides  the  main  one,  and  was  about  one  hundred  yards 
in  circumference.  It  appeared  to  me  like  a  vast  natural 
temple,  and,  as  I  wandered  among  the  pillars  that  upheld 
the  thick  dome  of  foliage,  something  like  mingled  feelings 
of  awe  and  worship  crept  through  my  soul.  A  temple 
fashioned  by  God's  own  hand  !,  What  grander  architec- 
tural idea  could  be  found  than  that  of  this  banyan  tree  ? 
I  did  not  wonder  that  the  Hindoos  looked  upon  the  tree 
as  sacred.  That  kind  of  superstition  was  infectious,  and 
had  I  a  banyan  near  me,  its  leaves  should  cover  me  in 
the  solitary  hours  of  prayer  and  meditation.  About  the 
middle  of  the  afternoon,  we  reached  the  outskirts  of  Ba- 
roche, and  stood  upon  the  banks  of  the  famous  river, 
Nerbudda. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  CITY  OF  BAROCHE.  THE  JUNGLES  AGAIN. 
RHINOCEROS.  ANTELOPE.  CAMP  IN  THE  JUN- 
GLE. ALARM.  A  LION. 

THE  city  of  Baroche  has  greatly  declined  of  late  years. 
We  found  it  poor  and  mean,  with  narrow,  dirty  streets, 
and  low  houses  built  of  sun-burned  bricks.  The  surrounding 
country  appeared  fertile  and  well-cultivated,  but  there  was 
an  absence  of  trees,  and  the  villages  had  a  dingy  aspect. 
The  Nerbudda  is  there  about  two  miles  wide,  and  very 
shallow.  There  were  a  large  number  of  small  vessels  in 
front  of  the  city,  but  we  were  informed  that  the  trade  was 
not  of  much  importance.  As  the  climate  was  hot  and  un- 
healthy, and  our  Parsees  did  not  seem  contented,  we  only 
remained  a  single  day  in  Baroche,  and  then  resumed  our 
route. 

18  (205) 


206  THE  COOLIES. 

For  many  miles  we  rode  between  cotton-fields,  and  be 
.  ncath  a  blazing  sun.  Scarcely  a  tree  of  any  size  was  to 
be  seen.  But  after  we  had  entered  the  province  of  Baroda, 
there  was  a  most  agreeable  change.  The  roads  were  lined 
with  trees  of  various  kinds.  The  villages  gave  every  evi- 
dence of  prosperity,  and  generally  presented  a  strangely 
beautiful  appearance,  being  surrounded  with  mango-topes 
and  verdant  tamarind  trees.  We  observed  that  cotton, 
sugar-cane,  tobacco,  corn,  opium,  hemp,  and  flax  were 
grown,  the  fields  being  divided  by  high  green  hedges.  The 
inhabitants  were  called  Coolies.  They  wore  a  singular 
costume,  made  up  of  a  petticoat,  a  quilted  kirtle,  which 
in  time  of  war  was  covered  with  armor,  and  a  cotton  cloth 
over  the  head  and  shoulders.  Mr.  Barrill  informed  me 
that  the  English  government  considered  these  people  very 
turbulent ;  but  we  found  them  quiet,  friendly,  and  hospi- 
table. Perhaps,  they  have  the  spirit  to  resist  the  extor- 
tions of  their  conquerors,  and  this  is  the  reason  of  their 
ill-esteem  with  the  government.  Such  a  spirit  is  a  noble 
quality  in  the  eyes  of  an  American  citizen,  who  from  his 
cradle,  is  taught,  "  Resistance  to  tyrants  is  obedience  to 
God."  After  journeying  till  noon  in  delightful  scenery,  we 
halted  at  a  neat-looking  farm-house,  and  obtained  an  ex- 
llent  meal  of  venison,  hare,  and  quail — the  best  by  far  we 
had  eaten  since  leaving  Bombay.  Quitting  this  farm-house, 
we  rode  on,  the  country  assuming  a  wilder  appearance  as 


DISCOVER  A  RHINOCEROS.  207 

we  proceeded,  and  about  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  we 
found  ourselves  once  more  amidst  the  jungles,  and  in  the 
vicinity  of  all  kinds  of  Indian  game.  The  few  inhabitants 
we  met,  belonged  to  the  rude  tribe  called  Bheels.  They 
were  known  to  be  warlike,  and  fond  of  nocturnal  maraud- 
ing expeditions  ;  but  we  were  well-armed,  and  did  not  care 
for  their  favor  or  hostility. 

As  we  were  riding  watchfully  through  the  luxuriant 
and  fragrant  forest,  an  almost  naked  Bheel  suddenly  ap- 
peared in  front,  and,  in  much  alarm,  informed  us  that  he 
had  seen  a  huge  rhinoceros  in  a  thicket  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
ahead.  He  spoke  in  a  language  which  one  of  our  Parsees 
interpreted  to  us.  The  fellow  was  armed  only  with  a 
short  spear.  We  directed  him  to  guide  us  to  the  spot ; 
but  prepared  for  treachery.  Cautiously,  and  with  sight 
and  nerves  at  the  utmost  strain,  we  followed  the  Bheel, 
frdm  grove  to  grove,  till,  as  we  neared  a  thicket  which 
seemed  to  put  an  effectual  check  to  our  further  progress, 
a  quick  rustle  was  heard  among  the  leaves,  and  before  we 
had  time  to  check  the  horses,  a  monstrous  rhinoceros 
charged  out  upon  us.  With  a  fear-spurred  agility,  the 
Bheel  turned  back,  and  sprang  upon  a  horse  behind  one 
of  the  Parsees.  Experience  had  given  Mr.  Barrill  and  I  a 
high  degree  of  presence  of  mind,  and,  while  our  servants 
instantly  turned  and  fled,  we  took  the  best  aim  possible 
under  the  circumstances,  fired,  and  then  dodged  aside, 


208  HUNTING  THE  RHINOCEROS. 

and  went  crashing  through  the  thick  underwood.  The 
rhinoceros  did  not  turn,  but  pushed  forward  in  determined 
pursuit  of  the  Parsees.  Of  course,  we  quickly  returned 
upon  his  rear,  and  gave  him  the  full  benefit  of  two  more 
balls.  This  checked  the  monster,  and  as  we  again  dodged 
aside  from  the  path,  he  came  charging  back.  This  time, 
he  discovered  my  whereabouts,  and  turned  off  after  me. 
I  led  him  circuitously  back  to  the  path,  feeling  certain  that 
my  friend  would  reload  and  hit  him  again  in  the  rear.  I 
was  not  disappointed  in  my  calculation.  As  the  rhinoceros, 
with  that  mad-dog  obstinacy  for  which  it  is  so  famous, 
rushed  after  my  flying  steed,  a  ball  from  Mr.  Ban-ill's  rifle 
brought  him  to  a  seat  on  his  haunches.  Seeing  this,  one 
of  the  Parsees  came  back,  and  gave  me  his  gun,  with  which 
I  gave  the  grunting  monster  a  ball  in  the  throat,  and  he 
tumbled  over  on  his  side.  Yet  we  did  not  venture  to  ap- 
proach, till  another  shot  had  been  fired  by  Mr.  Barrill. 

On  seeing  the  rhinoceros  fall,  the  Bheel  who  had  been 
so  extremely  ready  to  remove  all  obstructions  from  the  path 
of  the  charging  animal,  gave  a  yell  of  delight,  jumped 
from  the  horse  on  which  he  had  perched  himself,  and  ran 
before  us  to  our  prostrate  foe.  In  spite  of  all  our  balls, 
we  found  that  the  monster  still  breathed.  A  thrust  from 
the  Bheel's  spear,  however,  completely  extinguished  the 
spark  of  life,  which  was  a  new  subject  for  clamorous  rejoicing 
on  the  part  of  our  half-savage  friend.  We  dismounted, 


THE  RHINOCEROS  .      209 

tied  our  horses,  and  began  a  survey  of  this  mighty  game. 
The  Asiatic  rhinoceros  differs  from  the  African  animal 
of  the  same  name,  in  many  respects.  It  is  about  the  same 
size,  hut,  in  general,  more  ferocious  and  formidable.  But 
there  are  differences  that  strike  the  beholder  instantly. 
The  Asiatic  animal  has  but  one  horn,  while,  as  it  is  well 
known,  the  African  rhinoceros  has  two.  The  skin  of  the 
former  lies  over  the  body  in  immense  folds,  as  if  the  animal 
wore  robes,  and  this  covering  is  so  thick  that  some  of  our 
bullets,  although  prepared  with  solder,  had  flattened  against 
it.  Three  had  penetrated,  one  in  the  throat,  and  two 
behind  the  shoulder. 

A  half  hour  was  spent  in  examining  the  huge  bulk  of 
the  rhinoceros.  The  horn  was  about  two  feet  in  length. 
Mr.  Barrill  gave  it  to  one  of  the  Parsees,  much  to  the  dis- 
appointment of  the  Bheel,  who  had  earnestly  requested  it 
several  times.  For  himself,  my  friend  reserved  some  of 
the  teeth,  while  I  secured  a  large  piece  of  the  skin  to  dry 
for  my  private  stock  of  trophies.  The  remainder  of  the 
animal  was  given  to  the  Bheel,  with  orders  to  save  it  from 
the  tigers  and  lions  if  he  thought  himself  able.  While  we 
were  discussing  the  disposal  of  the  vanquished  monster, 
one  of  the  Parsees  caught  sight  of  some  four-horned  ante- 
lopes bounding  along  in  the  distance,  and  away  went  Mr. 
Barrill  and  myself,  with  the  hope  of  getting  a  shot.  Vain  ! 

vain  !  the  ride  through  such  underwood  in  chase  of  animals 

18** 


210  CAMP  IN  THK  JUNGLE. 

ilmost  as  fleet  as  the  wind.  After  a  ride  of  half  a  mile, 
ffe  found  ourselves  beginning  to  lose  ground,  arid,  there- 
/ore,  returned. 

Getting  into  marching  order,  we  bade  our  Bheel  friend 
adieu,  and  resumed  our  march  in  better  spirits  than  we 
had  been  since  our  arrival  in  India.  Night  overtook  us 
before  we  had  advanced  more  than  three  or  four  miles,  and 
as. the  lions  began  to  make  the  forests  quake  around  us, 
we  throught  proper  to  encamp  on  the  banks  of  a  small 
stream.  No  camp  was  ever  prepared  by  hunters  with  more 
anxious  care.  We  knew  that  we  were  surrounded  with 
perils,  only  to  be  met  with  at  night  in  the  jungles  of  India. 
Hungry  animals  of  the  most  daring  and  ferocious  species 
were  roaring  and  howling  on  all  sides  of  us.  Perhaps, 
enormous  serpents  were  lurking  in  the  thickets,  waiting 
till  we  were  wrapped  in  slumber  to  dart  upon  their  prey. 
The  security  of  our  horses  was  the  most  difficult  matter  to 
achieve.  The  stream  was  about  twenty  feet  broad,  and 
two  or  three  deep,  where  we  had  encamped.  This  afforded 
us  a  kind  of  defence  upon  that  side.  Between  the  creek 
and  the  nearest  trees  was  a  space  of  about  twenty  feet, 
thickly  covered  with  bushes.  These  we  cut  down,  and 
ranged  some  of  them  as  a  slight  breastwork,  while  the 
others,  we  used  for  fuel.  The  night  was  starry,  but 
moonless,  and  the  red  glare  shone  with  a  strange  light 
upon  wood  and  stream.  We  cut  log  seats  and  placed  them 


AN  ALARM.  211 

around  the  cheerful  blaze ;  then  tied  our  horses  as  near 
to  it  as  we  conveniently  could;  and  having  directed  the 
Parsees  to  keep  a  strict  watch  around,  sat  down  to  eat  a 
hasty  supper,  with  our  trusty  rifles  laid  across  our  knees. 
This  being  concluded,  the  Parsees  were  permitted  to  eat, 
while  we  kept  guard.  Occasionally,  a  lion's  awful  roar, 
sounding  as  if  the  animal  was  within  a  few  hundred  yards 
of  our  camp,  startled  us  to  keener  vigilance,  and  we  could 
see  that  our  horses  were  very  uneasy  at  the  proximity  of 
such  ferocious  foes.  Once  I  thought  that  a  shout  and  the 
report  of  a  rifle  might  serve  the  purpose  of  keeping  the 
animals  at  a  greater  distance,  and,  accordingly,  both  rang 
on  the  air.  But  the  roars  continued,  and  we  began  to 
feel  the  pressing  necessity  of  keeping  our  eyes  open  all 
night.  I  mentioned  this  to  Mr.  Barrill,  and  after  some 
deliberation,  he  decided  that  waking  alone,  we  could  be 
secure. 

Accordingly,  we  placed  the  Parsees  upon  guard,  with 
orders  to  fire  at  even  the  suspicion  of  an  approaching  animal 
of  any  size,  and  sat  down  to  talk  away  the  night.  Mr. 
Barrill,  I  have  said,  excelled  in  conversation.  He  could 
wander  "'  from  gay  to  grave,  from  lively  to  severe,"  in  a 
winning  way,  to  which  I  could  have  listened  day  or  night. 
Under  such  an  influence  I  was  forgetting  the  lapse  of 
moments ;  and  even  the  awful  concert  of  the  woods.  I 
was  in  the  midst  of  my  third  pipe,  when  a  hist  from  one 


212  KILL  A  LION. 

of  the  Parsees,  called  our  attention  to  him.  He  was  en- 
deavoring to  get  sight  of  some  object  in  the  bushes,  about 
fifty  yards  down  the  stream,  on  the  side  of  the  camp.  I 
called  to  him  to  wait  and  allow  me  to  try  my  rifle,  and, 
on  going  to  the  point  at  which  he  was  standing,  I  beheld 
two  eyes,  like  glowing  coals  of  fire,  among  the  bushes. 
They  were  evidently  bent  upon  our  camp.  Their  owner 
was  unmistakeable.  Only  a  lion's  eyes  could  glare  so 
vividly.  What  horrible  meals  tickled  his  imagination ! 
With  a  cool  aim  at  the  dark  space  between  those  orbs  of 
fire,  I  gave  my  bullet  wings — the  report  rang  on  the  air — 
an  awful  growl  succeeded,  and  the  eyes  disappeared.  We 
watched  patiently,  but  saw  no  more  of  the  monarch  beast 
that  night. 

We  continued  our  conversation  till  daylight,  which  was 
an  agreeable  relief.  Then,  with  the  eager  curiosity  of 
an  enthusiastic  sportsman,  I  went  to  the  spot  where  I  had 
seen  the  lion's  eyes.  I  found  great  blotches  of  blood  upon 
the  bushes,  and  the  marks  of  the  lion's  writhing  were 
evident  for  several  yards  around.  Following  the  traces, 
I  suddenly  came  upon  the  body  of  the  animal  near  the 
stream  and  a  shout  of  triumph  brought  my  companions 
to  my  side.  The  animal  was  young,  and  not  full  grown, 
but  still  its  form  had  grace  and  majesty.  A  Parsee  was 
left  to  skin  the  lion  while  we  ate  breakfast,  and  having 
Becured  this  additional  trophy,  we  resumed  our  journey. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

BARODA.  CONTINUE  OUR  JOURNEY  NORTHWARD. 
AN  INDIAN  VILLAGE.  A  SINGULAR  MODE  OF 
HUNTING  THE  TIGER.  THE  FALCON  AND  THE 
CROWS.  ROUTE  TO  CAMBAY. 

BARODA  is  a  much  larger  city  than  I  had  expected  to 
see  in  this  region.  The  population  may  be  numbered  at 
about  one  hundred  thousand  souls.  The  situation  is  on 
the  left  bank  of  the  Viswamitra,  which  is  here  both  narrow 
and  shallow.  The  site  is  low  and  marshy.  At  a  distance 
the  city  has  a  handsome  appearance.  It  is  surrounded 
with  a  double  wall  of  mud,  having  round  towers  at  intervals 
and  several  double  gates.  Two  spacious  streets  divide  it 
into  four  equal  sections.  The  market-place  in  the  centre, 
contains  a  square  pavilion,  with  three  arches  on  each  side, 
and  a  flat  roof,  adorned  with  seats  and  fountains.  This 
is  a  Mogul  structure,  and,  like  some  others  of  that  style 
of  architecture,  it  possesses  much  beauty.  But  the  Ma- 

(213) 


214  LEAVE  BARODA. 

haratta  edifices  are  all  of  mean  appearance.  The  stone 
bridge  over  the  Vismarita,  is  said  to  be  the  only  one  in 
Guzerat.  In  the  vicinity  of  the  city  we  found  some  fa- 
mous wells,  elegantly  pavilioned.  The  largest  of  these? 
called  Soloman's  well,  is  noted  for  the  purity  of  its  water, 
a  great  luxury  in  this  region.  Baroda  is  the  capital  of 
the  Guicowar  dominions.  A  few  Mahommedans  reside  in 
and  around  the  city.  But  the  chief  portion  of  the  popu- 
lation are  Rajpoots  and  Hindoo  Banyans.  A  native  prince 
was  the  ostensible  governor,  but  the  agent  of  the  East 
India  Company,  backed  by  a  body  of  British  troops,  enjoys 
a  power,  which  the  prince  dares  not  defy. 

We  remained  at  Baroda  three  days,  visiting  every  no- 
table person  or  structure  in,  and  around  the  city.  Then, 
having  made  a  few  purchases  and  acquired  some  information 
in.  regard  to  the  character  of  hunting  north  of  the  city, 
we  resumed  our  journey.  For  a  few  miles  the  route  led 
us  through  a  beautiful  and  well-cultivated  country,  smiling 
with  prosperity.  Then  the  character  of  the  scenery 
changed  to  that  of  a  luxuriant  but  sparsely  settled  wilder- 
ness ;  and  we  once  more  began  to  feel  again  in  our  ele- 
ment. No  game  but  antelope  appeared,  however,  and 
these  succeeded  in  their  praiseworthy  exertions  to  keep 
beyond  the  reach  of  our  rifles.  Towards  night,  we  reached 
a  neat  little  village,  in  the  midst  of  a  jungle  tract,  that 
certainly  looked  as  if  it  contained  large  game. 


SINGULAR  MODE  OF  HUNTING  THE  TIGEE.  215 

The  inhabitants  were  Coolies.  They  seemed  to  be  pros- 
perous, and  we  found  them  hospitable.  When  they  learned 
that  we  were  on  a  sporting  expedition,  they  requested  that 
we  would  stop  a  short  time  at  the  village,  and  communi- 
cated the  thrilling  intelligence  that  tigers  were  numerous 
in  the  neighboring  jungles.  Much  complaint  was  expressed 
of  the  depredations  of  these  ferocious  animals.  Mr.  Barrill 
at  once  concluded  to  stay  a  few  days  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
village,  and  the  whole  party  was  takeu  under  the  provi- 
dent care  of  the  village  landlord  and  patriarch. 

The  same  evening,  in  course  of  the  conversation,  which 
one  of  the  Parsees  interpreted  to  our  satisfaction,  the  pa- 
triarch informed  us  that  the  common  mode  of  hunting  the 
tiger  in  that  region  might  be  novel  to  us.  A  hut  was 
erected  among  the  foliage  of  a  jungle,  on  the  sloping  bank 
of  a  water-course,  and  on  the  opposite  bank  a  cow  was 
tied  to  a  stump.  The  hunter,  well-armed,  but  alone,  placed 
himself  in  the  hut  at  night,  and  there  laid  in  wait  for  the 
tiger,  or  lion,  whichever  dared  to  attaek  the  cow.  This 
kind  of  still  hunting  struck  our  fancy,  and  it  was  resolved 
that  Mr.  Barrill  should  try  it  the  first  night,  and  J,  the 
next.  However,  that  night  our  whole  party  took  a  sound, 
refreshing  sleep.  The  next  morning,  we  were  off  under 
the  old  man's  direction  to  choose  the  spot  where  our  trap 
should  be  set.  Three  Coolie  servants  carried  the  materials 
for  erecting  the  little  hut.  The  pieces  had  previously 


216  SINGULAR  MODE  OP  HUNTING  THE  TIGER. 

been  used  for  the  purpose,  and  the  only  trouble  was  to  join 
them  together. 

A  pretty  little  watercourse  skirted  the  village.  We 
followed  this,  through  a  few  ploughed  fields,  past  a  large 
banyan  tree,  and  into  the  jungle.  A  small  but  dense 
clump  was  selected  as  the  spot  for  erecting  the  watch-hut, 
and  to  put  it  up  and  conceal  it,  so  that  at  the  distance  of 
about  fifty  yards,  only  the  practised  eye  of  a  woodman 
could  detect  it,  was  the  work  of  about  half  an  hour.  It 
was  about  six  feet  square,  and  could  contain  besides  the 
hunter,  two  guns,  a  mattress  and  a  blanket,  all  of  which 
articles  were  there  deposited.  "We  then  returned  to  the 
village — and  Mr.  Barrill  purchased  a  white  cow  to  be 
sacrificed  to  the  god  of  sport.  Towards  night,  the  Par- 
sees  led  the  cow  and  I  accompanied  Mr.  Barrill,  to  the 
hut.  The  poor  beast  was  tied  to  a  stump  by  a  double 
cord  passed  twice  around  her  horns.  My  friend  entered 
.the  hut,  and  after  I  had  ascertained  that  nothing  was 
wanting  for  his  equipment,  I  wished  him  all  manner  of 
success,  and  accompanied  the  Parsees  back  to  the  village. 

Tfyat  night  was  a  restless  one  for  Peregrine  Herne — his 
sleep  was  a  succession  of  dreams,  in  which  horrible  battles 
with  tigers  and  mangled  limbs  were  the  most  conspicious 
incidents.  Twice  I  got  up  and  went  to  the  door  of  the 
bamboo  house,  to  listen  if  there  was  any  indications  of  an 
encounter,  and  once  I  thought  I  heard  the  report  of  a  gun. 


SINGULAR  MODE  OP  HUNTING  THE  TIGER.  217 

But  I  could  gathej-  nothing  concerning  my  friend's  sitaa- 
tion,  until  the  next  morning,  when  he  presented  himself 
safe  and  sound,  at  the  door  of  our  house.  Glad  that  he 
had,  at  least,  met  with  no  disaster,  I  welcomed  him  back 
with  a  cordial  shake  of  the  hand,  and  while  he  was  at 
breakfast,  he  told  us  his  night's  experience  : 

"After  your  departure,"  said  Mr.  Barrill  "  the  poor  cow- 
stared  intently  along  the  path  by  which  you  had  retreated, 
and  then,  had  it  not  been  for  the  occasional  stamp  of  her 
fore-leg,  or  the  impatient  side-toss  of  her  head,  to  keep  off 
the  flies,  she  might  have  seemed  carved  out  of  marble. 
Next  there  was  a  fearful  and  anxious  gaze  up  the  bed  of 
the  stream,  and  into  the  thick  fringe  of  mimosa,  and  then 
the  apprehensive  animal  plunged  and  tugged  to  get  loose. 
All  in  vain.  The  cord  was  strong.  Then  her  sides  began 
to  heave,  and  she  gave  a  low — that  sweet  music  to  the 
ears  of  a  tiger.  Again,  again,  the  piteous  sound  echoed 
among  the  hills.  The  moon  arose,  and  from  my  little 
window,  I  beheld  a  scene  full  of  beauty  and  poetry.  A 
crescent  of  low  hills,  craggy,  steep,  and  thickly  wooded, 
appeared  on  three  sides,  and  above  them,  again,  was  the 
clear  blue  outline  of  the  Neilgherry  hills.  In  front,  the 
silver-sanded  bed  of  the  dry  water-course  divided  the 
thick  and  sombre  jungle  with  a  stream  of  light,  till  lost 
in  the  deep  shadows  at  the  foot  of  the  hills.  But  the  rest- 
lessness of  the  cow  called  my  attention  from  the  quiet 

19 


218  SINGULAR  MODE  OF  HUNTING  THE  TIGER. 

beauty  of  the  scene  to  the  perils  of  my  situation.  Sud- 
denly a  roar  swelled  on  the  air,  and  then  died  in  awful 
echoes  among  the  hills,  the  cow  stood  as  if  almost  breath- 
less with  fear,  and  I  grasped  one  of  my  rifles,  and  rested 
it  on  the  side  of  the  little  window.  Thus  I  watched  for 
about  half  an  hour ;  but  no  tiger  appeared  ;  and,  as  the 
cow  laid  down,  as  if  her  fears  were  quieted,  I  did  the  same. 
I  had  fallen  into  a  doze,  when  the  cow  struggling  on  her 
legs  and  a  groan  brought  me  to  my  feet.  There  they 
were — a  large  tiger  holding  the  poor  cow  behind  the  ears, 
shaking  her  like  a  fighting  dog.  I  ran  out  the  muzzle  of 
my  rifle  as  quietly  as  I  could,  and  then  I  saw  the  tiger  leap 
over  the  shuddering  cow,  without  quitting  his  grip.  She 
sank  to  the  earth  ;  and  he  lifted  her  up  again.  At  the 
first  opportunity  I  pulled  the  trigger.  The  left  hand 
missed.-  I  tried  the  right — Bang  !  The  tiger  relinquished 
his  hold  and  was  off  with  a  bound.  The  cow  staggered 
and  struggled,  and  in  a  few  seconds  fell,  and  with  a  heavy 
groan,  ceased  to  move.  The  fact  then  stared  me  in  the 
face.  The  tiger  had  killed  the  cow  within  a  few  feet  of 
me  and  escaped  uninjured." 

When  the  story  was  interpreted  to  the  patriarch,  he 
laughed  loudly,  and  uttered  some  expressions  of  encourage- 
ment for  a  patient  renewal  of  the  trial.  I  was  sorry  for 
my  friend's  disappointment.  He  seemed  to  feel  it  deeply. 
However,  he  readily  assented  to  my  taking  his  place  the 


SINGULAR  MODE  OF  HUNTING  THE  TIGER.  219 

next  night.  After  breakfast,  Mr.  Barrill,  the  patriarch,  the 
Parsees,  and  some  Coolies  repaired  to  the  jungle  to  see  the 
slaughtered  cow.  The  animal  was  mangled  about  the  neck 
in  a  manner  that  proved  what  terrible  power  the  tiger 
could  exert  in  a  short  time.  The  sides  and  back  were 
also  torn  by  the  claws  of  the  ferocious  assailant.  It  was 
agreed  that  the  carcass  should  remain  where  it  was,  and 
be  guarded  by  the  Coolies  during  the  day. 

In  the  evening,  with  an  eagerness  I  could  not  conceal, 
I  hastened  to  the  little  hut.  Mr.  Barrill  and  the  Coolies 
saw  me  safely  ensconsed,  and  then  retired.  The  moon  arose 
early,  and  I  had  an  ample  opportunity  of  enjoying  the 
beautiful  scene  described  by  my  friend.  This  was  varied 
by  a  sudden  storm.  At  an  early  hour,  I  saw  an  arch  of 
clouds  approaching  from  the  westward,  and  the  rain  de- 
scending, gave  it  the  appearance  of  a  huge  black  comb, 
the  teeth  reaching  to  the  earth.  The  moon,  half-obscured, 
showed  a  white  mist  as  far  as  the  rain  had  reached.  Then 
was  heard  in  the  puffs  of  air,  the  hissing  of  the  distant 
shower — the  vivid  lightning  blazed  in  my  very  eyes,  and 
then  the  rain  rattled  to  the  earth  in  bullet  drops.  The 
beautiful  was  swallowed  up  in  the  sublime.  Each  moment 
there  was  a  startling  change  from  a  darkness  that  "  could 
be  felt,"  to  a  dazzling  flash  of  light,  while  above  me  the 
thunder  bolts  were  hurled  with  stunning  force.  At  length 
the  storm,  having  spent  its  wrath,  passed  over,  and  tho 


220  SINGULAR  MODE  OP  HUNTING  THE  TIGEE. 

bed  of  the  stream  ran  dry  again.  As  the  watery  moon 
appeared,  I  looked  out  and  saw  that  the  carcass  of  the 
cow  was  still  untouched. 

I  watched  about  an  hour,  and  then  I  was  about  to  enjoy 
a  doze,  when  my  ear  caught  a  thrilling  echo  among  the 
rocks — and  then  the  distant  roar  which  could  not  be  mis- 
taken. Aye,  a  roar  and  an  answer.  Tiger  and  tigress  ! 
Hope  filled  to  overflowing — the  monsters  of  the  jungle 
were  coming  within  reach  of  my  rifle.  Stones  and  gravel 
rattled  just  behind  the  hut,  on  the  path  by  which  we  came 
and  went,  and  a  heavy  step  passed  and  descended  the 
slope  into  the  bed  of  the  stream.  I  heard  the  sand  cranck- 
ing  under  his  weight  before  I  dared  to  look,  and  then — 
looming  in  the  moonlight,  there  stood  the  long,  sleek,  but 
terrible  form  of  a  tiger,  smelling  the  slaughtered  cow.  The 
weight  of  such  a  beast  would  have  crushed  the  frail  tene- 
ment in  which  I  was  posted.  As  if  the  excitement  was 
insufficient,  the  monster  gazing  down  the  dry  water-course, 
caught  sight  of  his  companion  who  stood  irresolutely, 
about  twenty  yards  up  the  bed  of  the  stream.  The  male 
walked  around  the  carcass  two  or  three  times,  and  then 
began  to  tear  it  with  a  skill  peculiar  to  his  tribe.  As  he 
stood  with  his  two  feet  upon  the  haunch,  as  he  tore  out  a 
beef- stake,  I  grasped  a  rifle,  and  ran  the  muzzle  out  of  the 
little  port.  The  continual  motion  of  the  tiger's  body  pre- 
vented my  getting  a  good  shot  for  some  time.  But  as  I 


SINGULAR  MODE  OF  HUNTING  THE  TIGER.  221 

got  sight  on  a  line  rather  low  behind  the  shoulders,  I 
pulled  the  trigger.  Bang  !  A  shower  of  sand  rattled  on 
the  dry  leaves,  and  a  terrific  roar  of  rage  and  pain  satis- 
fied me  that  the  shot  had  been  a  telling  one.  The  white 
smoke  was  blown  away,  and  then  I  beheld  the  monster 
writhing  where  he  had  fallen.  Either  guided  by  the  fire, 
or  by  some  slight  noise  made  in  the  excitement  of  the  mo- 
ment, he  saw  me,  and  with  a  yell  that  pierced  my  ears, 
scrambled  up.  The  thunder  of  his  roar  filled  the  valley, 
and  the  echoes,  among  the  hills,  answered  as  at  the  com- 
mand of  a  dreaded  tyrant.  I  immediately  perceived  that 
the  monsters  hind  quarters  were  paralyzed,  and  that  how- 
ever ferocious  might  be  his  will  his  power  to  harm  me  had 
departed.  He  sank  down  again  upon  his  elbows,  and  I 
saw  the  blood  flowing  from  a  wound  in  the  loins.  But 
the  countenance  had  more  of  the  terrific  in  its  expression 
than  anything  I  had  ever  beheld.  The  glare  of  that  fero- 
cious eye,  caused  my  flesh  to  creep.  But  as  he  gazed 
upon  me,  in  helpless  malignity,  I  took  aim  at  his  breast, 
and  ere  the  smoke  cleared  away,  the  monster  was  stretched 
in  death  beside  the  slaughtered  cow. 

Although  naturally  elated  by  this  easy  victory  over  so 
formidable  a  foe,  I  did  not  forget  the  tigress.  Indeed.  I 
was  apprehensive  that  she  would  attack  my  ricketty  hut. 
But  at  the  end  of  about  half  an  hour,  I  heard  her  roar 
echoing  far  away  among  the  hills,  and  all  dread  was  al- 

19* 


222  COOLIE  SUPERSTITION. 

layed.  Nevertheless,  I  did  not  attempt  to  court  sleep, 
but  watched  the  splendid  prize  until  day  dimmed  the  stars 
and  invited  me  to  issue  from  my  little  castle. 

A  magnificent  prize,  indeed  !  As  I  stood  gazing  upon 
the  beautiful  skin,  and  the  countenance  so  fixed  in  its  de- 
termined ferocity,  I  was  startled  by  a  rustling  near  me, 
and,  on  turning  quickly,  I  beheld  Mr.  Barrill,  the  Parsees, 
and  several  Coolies,  whose  impatience  would  not  permit 
them  to  await  my  return.  At  the  sight  of  the  tiger  they 
raised  a  shout  of  exultation,  and  showered  congratulations 
upon  me. 

I  here  witnessed  for  the  first  time  the  performance  of  a 
superstitious  rite  by  the  Coolies.  With  the  gravest 
movements  imaginable,  one  of  them  kindled  a  small  fire, 
and  taking  a  brand,  proceeded  to  singe  off  the  whiskers 
of  the  tiger.  Fearful  that  he  intended  to  spoil  the  skin, 
Mr.  Barrill  called  out  to  know  what  he  was  doing,  when 
one  of  our  Parsees  informed  us  that  the  natives  of  India, 
believed  that  the  performance  of  this  simple  rite,  would 
lay  the  spirit  of  the  tiger.  Mr.  Barrill  smiled,  but  the 
remembrance  of  that  tiger's  last  look  of  malignity,  caused 
me  to  think  that  the  sensitive  Coolies  had  some  justification 
for  their  singular  belief. 

The  Coolies  constructed  a  litter  on  which  they  placed 
the  tiger,  and  we  returned  to  the  village  in  triumphal 
procession,  firing  guns  and  shouting  so  loudly,  that  the 


THE  FALCON  AND  THE  CROWS.         223 

whole  village  turned  out  to  see  the  cause  of  the  uproar. 
When  it  was  known  that  I  had  killed  a  large  tiger,  the 
crowd  rejoiced  as  if  their  deadliest  foe  had  been  subdued. 
We  left  the  tiger  outside  of  the  house  as  we  sat  down  to 
breakfast,  I  related  the  story  of  the  night.  Mr.  Barrill 
informed  that  he  had  not  enjoyed  a  wink  of  sleep — and 
that  he  had  distinctly  heard  the  report  of  my  rifle.  The 
escape  of  the  tigress  was  regreted.  However,  that  day 
the  patriarch  gave  a  grand  open  air  feast*  in  honor  of  the 
tiger's  death — and  despite  the  refusal  of  the  Hindoos  to 
eat  in  company  with  us,  we  had  a  merry  time.  The 
splendid  skin  of  the  slain  monster  was  added  to  our  packs. 
While  in  this  region,  we  enjoyed  a  taste  of  that  rare 
sport,  called  falconry.  It  is  well  known  that  the  crow  is 
a  kind  of  sacred  bird  among  the  Hindoos.  He  is  fed  at 
certain  seasons  with  boiled  rice  and  other  delicacies.  This 
treatment  causes  the  crow  to  be  very  bold  and  impertinent. 
Occasionally  we  came  upon  large  flocks  of  these  birds, 
and  on  silencing  one  of  them  with  shot,  they  evinced  a 
determination  to  assail  us,  and  we  were  glad  to  get  out 
of  the  way  as  spon  as  possible.  One  day,  the  Parsees  had 
left  a  half-plucked  chicken,  preparing  for  supper,  within 
sight  .of  a  sentinel  crow.  In  a  moment,  the  fowl  was 
pounced  upon,  and  carried  off.  On  one  side,  all  the  com- 
rades of  the  daring  robber  flocked  together  to  share  the 
spoil.  On  the  other  side,  out  rushed  the  Parsees,  followed 


224         THE  FALCON  AND  THE  CROWS. 

by  the  Hindoo  patriarch  and  a  number  of  servants,  who 
seemed  determined  to  recover  the  chicken  by  the  force  of 
sticks  and  stones.  But  the  charge  was  unavailing,  and 
the  patriarch  then  entered  the  hous«,  saying,  in  effect, 
that  his  falcon,  Hyder,  could  master  the  robber.  In  a  few 
minutes  he  came  forth,  with  a  hooded  falcon  upon  his 
wrist.  At  the  sight  of  this  dreaded  bird,  the  marauding 
crows  flew  away  in  every  direction.  The  veteran  falconer 
then  requested  that  the  whole  party  should  retire  into  the 
house,  and  he  would  conceal  the  falcon,  until  the  crows 
returned.  We  complied,  but  took  our  stations  at  the  win- 
dows, where  we  observed  what  passed.  Presently,  an  old 
crow  sneaked  back  to  the  tree  beneath  which  the  chicken 
had  been  dropped,  and  then  about  a  dozen  had  the  courage 
to  follow. 

Now  was  the  time  for  the  commencement  of  the  sport. 
The  patriarch  quickly  unhooded  Hyder.  The  leash  slipped, 
and  as  a  crow  alighted  furtively  upon  the  ground  where 
the  chicken  lay,  the  falcon  dashed  at  the  enemy.  We 
then  rushed  out  to  obtain  a  fair  view  of  the  sport.  At 
the  sight  of  the  falcon  the  crow  dropped  his  prize,  and 
shrieking  as  usual,  skimmed  away  through  the  trees,  pur- 
sued by  his  stubborn  foe.  All  was  excitement.  The  Coolies 
rushed  about,  whooping,  as  if  to  frighten  the  crow  as  much 
as  possible.  Vainly  the  crow  strives  to  gain  a  shelter ; 
the  falcon  hangs  close  upon  him,  gaming  every  moment. 


THE  FALCON  AND  THE  CROWS.         225 

The  crow  must  shift  his  tactics.  Now  he  attempts  to  take 
the  air,  wheeling  in  huge  circles,  gradually  contracted. 
But  Hyder  has  already  reached  his  level.  The  crow  falls, 
with  rare  cunning  and  skill,  presenting  his  bill  and  claws, 
saves  himself  from  the  falcon's  terrible  swoop,  and  having 
won  distance,  as  he  supposes,  turns  over  and  hurries  through 
the  air  towards  his  asylum.  He  nears  the  clump  of  thorny 
mimosa,  from  the  ragged  boughs  of  which  resound  the 
voices  of  a  startled  colony.  Hyder  perceives  the  critical 
moment,  plies  his  pinions  with  redoubled  velocity,  grapples 
with  his  quarry  from  behind,  weighs  him  down  rapidly 
through  the  air,  and  nearing  the  earth,  strives  to  give  the 
crow  a  death-fall.  But  in  spite  of  his  fall,  a  rent  in  the 
back,  and  several  pecks,  the  crow  fights  gallantly,  and — 
tremble  Hyder ! — there  come  a  whole  army  of  crows  to 
his  aid.  They  wheel  about  over  the  brave  falcon's  head, 
and  occasionally  pounce  upon  him  with  ferocious  force. 
At  this  crisis,  we  rushed  forward  to  Hyder's  assistance, 
but  arrived,  hardly  in  season.  As  we  plunged  through 
the  last  clump  of  bushes  between  us  and  the  combatants, 
at  least  a  dozen  crows  rose  hurriedly  from  the  ground.  The 
quarry  was  stone  dead  upon  the  grass.  Hyder  had  lost 
his  eyes,  and  was  so  pecked  and  torn  that  the  patriarch 
prepared  to  sustain  the  affliction  of  the  speedy  death  of 
his  favorite  bird.  To  us  the  scene  had  been  full  of  ex- 
citement, and  Mr.  Barrill  promptly  offered  the  patriarch 


226  ROUTE  TO  CAMBAT. 

compensation  for  the  loss  of  his  bird,  but  the  veteran  fal- 
coner refused  to  accept  it.  We  remained  a  week  at  the 
delightful  village — and  then  bidding  our  hospitable  friends 
a  sorrowful  farewell,  started  for  Cambay.  The  route 
was  pleasantly  diversified  with  hill  and  dale,  forest  and 
grassy  plain ;  but  the  heat  was  intense,  .and  travelling  was 
therefore  extremely  irksome.  Towards  night  we  entered 
upon  a  well-cultivated  country,  and  before  dark,  we  were 
within  the  limits  of  Cambay. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

CAMBAY.  THE  JOURNEY  THROUGH  NORTH  GUZE- 
RAT.  THE  ICHNEUMON.  ADVENTURE  WITH 
A  COBRA  DI  CAPELLO.  ELEPHANT  CATCHING. 
HUNTING  THE  TIGER  WITH  ELEPHANTS.  AH- 
MEDABAD.  START  TO  RETURN  BY  WATER  TO 
BOMBAY. 

CAMBAY  is  but  a  shadow  of  its  former  self.  Its  decay 
has  been  chiefly  owing  to  the  filling  up  of  the  bay,  at  the 
head  of  which  it  stands,  by  the  deposits  brought  down  by 
the  rivers.  The  general  appearance  of  the  town  is  dingy 
and  ancient.  Most  of  the  houses  are  built  of  clay,  and 
the  streets  are  dirty  and  narrow.  Various  Hindoo  and 
Mohammedan  edifices  remain  to  tell  the  stranger  of  the 
splendor  which  once  characterised  Cambay.  Among  these 
is  a  very  beautiful  mosque,  close  to  the  nawaub's  residence. 
Its  main  court  contains  three  hundred  and  sixty  pillars  of 
a  handsome  red  sandstone.  There  are  also  the  remains 
of  a  subterranean  temple,  believed  to  be  of  Buddhic  origin, 

(227) 


228  KILL  AN  ICHNEUMON. 

The  inhabitants,  numbering  about  ten  thousand,  are  Hin- 
doos, Mohammedans  and  Parsees.  We  found  that  the 
manufactures  of  the  town  were  various  and  valuable,  but 
the .  trade  was  unimportant.  The  surrounding  country 
was  fertile  and  well-cultivated. 

At  Cambay  we  remained  two  days,  when  the  oppressive 
character  of  the  climate  determined  us  to  proceed  north- 
ward. On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  after  our  arrival,  we 
started,  and  were  glad  to  find  ourselves  once  more  among 
the  fresh  fields  and  woods.  Our  route  led  us  along  the 
shallow  Sabermatty.  The  adjacent  country  was  gene- 
rally fertile  and  thickly  settled  for  several  miles  up  the 
river  above  Cambay.  Beyond  this,  however,  we  found 
ourselves  in  jungle  land.  Here  we  first  had  an  opportu- 
nity to  kill  and  examine  the  singular  little  animal  called 
mangoust,  or  ichneumon.  The  one  we  shot  was  eighteen 
inches  in  length,  without  the  tail.  The  snout  was  long, 
the  limbs  short,  and  the  tail  slender.  Its  motions  were 
as  quick  as  lightning,  so  that  it  was  with  great  difficulty 
that  I  obtained  a  good  shot.  These  animals  are  very 
useful  in  hot  countries,  where  they  destroy  venomous 
snakes,  lizards,  and  crocodile's  eggs.  They  generally  seek 
their  prey  by  night,  creeping  along  without  noise,  and 
darting  upon  the  unsuspecting  reptile  with  unerring  aim. 
This  curious  animal  was  skinned  to  supply  us  with  a  new 
trophy. 


ADVENTURE  WITH  A  COBRA  DI  CAPELLO.  229 

After  a  fatiguing  and  monotonous  journey,  we  reached 
a  small  village  just  before  dark.  The  inhabitants  appeared 
peaceable  and  industrious,  and  they  certainly  were  hospi- 
table, for  they  offered  us  their  best  houses  for  lodgings, 
and  took  good  care  of  our  horses.  The  weather  was  quite 
sultry,  and  we  were  exceedingly  glad  when  we  could  retire 
to  rest  in  the  airy,  bamboo-walled  rooms  set  apart  for  our 
accommodation.  The  room,  in  which  I  and  one  of  the 
Parsees  were  directed  to  sleep,  opened  at  the  rear  of  the 
house,  upon  a  beautiful  green,  decked  with  flowers.  We 
kept  the  door  wide  open,  in  order  to  let  in  as  much  air  as 
possible,  and  stretched  ourselves  within  a  few  paces  of  it, 
the  Parsee  being  on  one  side  of  the  room  and  I  on  the 
other.  For  a  few  moments  after  lying  down  on  the  mat- 
tress, I  conversed  with  the  Parsee  in  regard  to  the  extent 
of  our  journey,  and  then,  as  he  sank  into  the  downy  arms 
of  Morpheus,  I  amused  myself  by  gazing  out  on  the  green, 
till  my  senses,  also,  yielded  to  the  drowsy  god.  I  had 
slept  several  hours — when  I  began  to  have  a  visible  per- 
ception of  peril — an  apprehension  of  imminent  death.  Most 
persons  have  heard  that  if  the  eyes  of  a  watcher  are  con- 
stantly fixed  on  the  countenance  of  a  sleeper,  for  a  cer- 
tain length  of  time,  the  slumberer  will  start  up,  awakened 
by  some  mysterious  magnetism.  So  it  was,  that  with 
closed  eyes  and  drowsy  senses,  I  was  conscious  of  a  mys- 
terious horror  crouching  beside  me ;  and,  as  if  the  peril 

20 


230  ADVENTURE  WITH  A  COBRA  DI  CAPELLO. 

that  was  my  nightmate  was  of  a  nature  to  be  quickened 
into  deadly  activity  by  any  movement  of  mine,  I  felt  the 
pressing  necessity  of  lying  quite  still.  So  that,  when  I 
at  last  awoke,  and  felt  that  as  I  lay,  with  my  face  towards 
the  roof,  there  was  a  thick,  heavy,  cold,  creeping  thing 
upon  my  breast,  I  neither  moved  or  uttered  a  sound.  In 
this  case,  at  least,  danger  put  an  edge  to  all  my  faculties, 
and  ere  I  could  wink  my  eyes,  I  was  broad  awake  and 
aware  that,  coiling  itself  into  a  circle  of  twists,  an  enor- 
mous serpent  was  on  my  breast.  The  whole  of  my  chest, 

\ 
and  even  the  pit  of  my  stomach,  were  covered  with  the 

chilly  folds  of  the  reptile.  Where  are  the  words  for  the 
thoughts  of  such  a  moment  ?  It  was  evident,  the  loath- 
some creature  had  at  length  settled  itself  to  sleep.  This 
was  a  state  of  affairs  for  which  I  should  have  felt  thankful, 
but  for  the  all-absorbing  feeling  of  horror.  The  serpent 
had  become  quite  still,  and  the  pressure  seemed  to  burn 
into  my  breast.  The  indescribable  odor  which  exhaled 
from  its  body,  and  pervaded  the  whole  air,  so  overwhelmed 
me,  that  it  was  only  by  a  mighty  effort  of  self-command, 
that  I  preserved  myself  from  shrieking.  As  it  was,  a 
cold  sweat  burst  from  every  pore,  and  a  kind  of  palsy  of 
terror  began  to  agitate  my  limbs. 

At  this  crisis,  a  wall-lizard,  or  a  large  beetle,  fell  from 
the  ceiling  upon  my  left  arm,  which  lay  at  my  side.  The 
snake  slowly  raised  its  head,  with  a  low  hiss,  and  then, 


ADVENTURE  WITH  A  COBRA  DI  CAPELLO.  231 

for  the  first  time,  I  saw  the  hood  glistening  in  the  moon- 
light. It  was  a  Cobra  di  Capello,  the  most  venomous  ser- 
pent of  the  East.  Shading  my  eyes  to  exclude  the 
dreadful  sight,  I  lay  almost  fainting,  until  all  was  again 
quiet.  Had  its  fiery  glance  met  mine,  all  would  have 
been  over,  but,  apparently,  it  was  once  more  asleep ;  and 
presently  I  thought  I  heard  the  Parsee  moving  about,  as  if 
about  to  rise.  "With  a  desperate  effort,  I  cried  out. 
"  Help,  Parsee  !"  "Aye!"  was  the- quiet  response, 
lay  still  again,  for  the  serpent,  evidently  roused,  made  a 
movement,  and  its  head  fell  on  my  naked  arm.  In  the 
keen  agony  of  that  moment,  when  I  seemed  about  to  lose 
all  control  of  myself,  I  debated  whether  I  should  again 
attempt  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  Parsee,  or  remain 
entirely  quiet,  or  whether  it  would  not  be  better  than 
either  to  start  up  and  shake  the  reptile  from  me.  But 
the  latter  suggestion  was  instantly  abandoned,  because  of 
the  assurance  I  felt  that  it  would  •  prove  fatal.  Impeded 
by  the  heavy  folds  of  the  serpent,  and  weak  from  excite- 
ment, I  could  not  escape  its  fangs.  Again  I  spoke  with 
hollow  but  distinct  tones, — "  Parsee,  a  lantern  !  Quick, 
Parsee,  a  lantern  !"  Oh  !  that  welcome  sound  !  "  I  am 
bringing  it,  sir."  There  was  a  sound  of  clanking  metal — 
light  flashed  across  the  floor — and  at  the  noise  of  the 
coming  step,  one  after  another  the  terrible  coils  unwinding, 
the  grisly  monster  glided  away  from  my  body,  and  as  the 


232  TAME  ELEPHANTS. 

words — "  Oh  !  the  Cobra  !"  sounded  in  my  ears,  I  fainted 
away. 

When  my  senses  resumed  their  sway,  I  found  myself  in 
the  open  air,  lying  upon  some  straw.  It  was  about  sunrise. 
By  my  side  were  my  anxious  friend,  Mr.  Barrill,  and  the 
Parsees.  When  I  opened  my  eyes,  and  raised  myself, 
they  were  astonished ;  and  when  I  assured  them  I  had  not 
been  bitten  by  the  terrible  serpent,  they  expressed  their 
joy  in  the  most  enthusiastic  ways,  among  which  embracing 
was  the  most  notable. 

After  a  rude  but  abundant  meal,  we  resumed  our  route, 
keeping  within  sight  of  the  Sabbematty's  bright  waters, 
and  after  a  day  of  difficult  jungle  travelling,  during  which 
we  saw  the  traces  of  large  animals,  but  not  the  animals 
themselves,  we  reached  a  village,  situated  upon  a  small 
creek,  about  a  mile  from  the  river.  Here  we  were  some- 
what excited  by  the  sight  of  three  elephants,  tamed  for 
hunting  and  travelling  purposes.  Two  were  cows,  the 
other  a  magnificent  bull.  The  owner  of  these  animals 
was  the  proprietor  of  the  village  and  a  considerable 
quantity  of  the  surrounding  land.  He  was  a  middle-aged 
Parsee,  of  urbane  manners  and  intelligent  countenance. 
Our  Parsee  servants  soon  brought  us  into  intimate  ac- 
quaintance with  him,  and  we  Were  invited  to  remain  at 
his  handsome  residence  for  several  days.  In  regard  to 
the  hunting  prospects  in  the  adjacent  country,  he  informed 


ELEPHANT  CATCHING.  233 

us  that  both  tigers  and  elephants  had  recently  been  seen 
in  the  jungles.  Such  intelligence  was  precisely  the  kind 
of  rein  to  hold  us  at  the  village.  That  night  we  retired 
to  repose,  with  heads  swarming  with  jungles,  elephants, 
tigers,  and  all  the  incidents  of  Indian  sport. 

The  next  morning,  our  host  conducted  us  to  view  his 
elephants.  During  this  visit,  Mr.  Barrill  said  that  he 
should  like  to  see  an  illustration  of  the  manner  in 
which  elephants  are  caught  in  India.  The  intimation  was 
sufficient,  for  the  kindly  Parsee  told  us  that,  if  possible, 
we  should  be  gratified  that  very  day,  and  we  immediately 
returned  to  the  house  to  make  preparations  for  the  sport. 

A  howdah,  such  as  is  used  in  travelling  on  the  elephant 
in  the  Indies,  was  placed  on  the  bull,  while  the  cows  were 
left  completely  unshackled.  A  mahout,  or  driver,  how- 
ever, was  seated  upon  the  neck  of  each  of  these  large  ani- 
mals, and  they  now  carried  heavy  ropes  ta  be  used  in  the 
capture.  These  men  were  skilled  in  the  management  of 
elephants.  Our  host,  Mr.  Barrill,  the  two  Parsees,  and 
myself,  all  well-armed  with  guns  and  spears,  took  our 
seats  in  the  howdah — the  orders  were  given  to  the  ma- 
houts and  then  we  started  amid  the  shouts  of  the  villagers, 
for  the  jungles. 

Obedient  to  orders,  the  mahouts  drove  the  female  ele- 
phants far  in  advance  and  kept  a  keen  watch  for  the  mon- 
strous game  from  the  moment  they  entered  the  high  grafts 

20* 


234  ELEPHANT  CATCHING. 

of  the  jungle.  We  followed  them  leisurely,  and  they  were 
generally  beyond  our  view.  But  as  we  rode  about  two 
hours  in  their  wake,  and  became  tired  of  the  back  of  ex- 
citement, we  hurried  up,  so  that  we  could  keep  them  in 
sight.  We  had  scarcely  done  this  when  one  of  the  ma- 
houts called  out  to  us  to  halt,  as  wild  elephants  were  seen 
ahead.  Our  sturdy  bull  obeyed  the  voice  of  the  mahout, 
and  stopped,  when  we  became  all  eyes  to  see  what  was 
being  effected  in  front. 

The  mahouts  had  quickly  dismounted  upon  catching 
Bight  of  the  game,  and  the  tame  elephants,  understanding 
their  business,  ran  forward  to  greet  the  wild  members  of 
their  tribe.  The  cunning  drivers  then  took  a  circuitous 
path  to  reach  the  group,  and  we  lost  them  in  the  thicket. 
Our  Parsee  host  now  directed  our  mahout  to  drive  up 
slowly,  so  that  we  might  have  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the 
mode  of  effecting  the  capture,  but  also  insisted  on  the 
necessity  of  our  concealing  the  elephant  as  much  as  pos- 
sible beneath  the  foliage.  Our  driver  was  skilful,  and  he 
secured  us  a  position  in  the  jungle  where  the  elephant  was 
hidden  from  the  view  of  distant  eyes,  yet  from  which  we 
could  see  the  whole  party  of  elephants.  Our  host  in- 
formed us  that  the  wild  animals  consisted  of  a  bull  and 
two  young  cows.  Our  females  went  up  to  the  bull,  and 
began  to  fondle  and  caress  him  with  a  singular  show  of 
affection.  He  was  completely  deceived,  and  appeared 


ELEPHANT  CATCHING.  235 

absolutely  intoxicated  with  their  behaviour.  For  a  few 
moments  he  rested  his  huge  cheeks  against  the  cheeks  of 
the  females — and  then  I  saw  a  daring  mahout  steal  from 
a  thicket,  ani  with  remarkable  quickness  fasten  a  rope 
around  the  fore  legs  of  the  enraptured  bull.  During  this 
operation,  the  females  seemed  to  do  all  in  their  power  to 
direct  their  male  companion's  attention.  The  other  ma- 
hout tied  a  long  cable  to  the  hind  leg  of  the  victimized  ani- 
mal, and  secured  the  other  end  to  a  stout  tree.  The  mon- 
ster was  thus  a  captive.  The  mahputs  ran  away  through 
the  thicket,  and  then  the  females  turned  away  to  come 
back  to  us ;  and  as  they  trotted  towards  our  position,  they 
occasionally  looked  back,  as  if  in  derision.  In  the  meantime, 
the  bull  discovering  his  ignominous  condition,  attempted 
to  retreat.  But  the  ropes  checked  him,  and  he  then  be- 
came furious,  throwing  himself  down  and  plunging  his 
tusks  into  the  earth  till  the  dirt  and  leaves  were  whirled 
in  showers  around.  But  though  the  tree  bent  till  we  were 
fearful  that  it  would  be  torn  down,  the  ropes  stood  the 
tug.  The  wild  females  ran  away  as  if  aware  of  what  had 
happened  to  their  lord.  For  about  a  half  hour  the  struggles 
of  the  captive  monster  continued,  and  then  he  sank  upon 
the  ground  completely  exhausted ;  whereupon  we  rode  up 
to  examine  his  proportions.  Our  mahouts,  having  resumed 
their  seats  upon  the  necks  of  the  faithful  female  elephants 
followed  us,  raising  a  shout  of  triumph  as  their  huge 


236  ELEPHANT  CATCHING. 

animals  came  trotting  along,  apparently  enjoying  the 
sport  as  much  their  masters. 

The  captive  was  a  bull  not  quite  as  large  as  the  one 
on  which  we  were  comfortably  perched,  but  in  good  con- 
dition, and  having  a  fine  pair  of  tusks.  How  he  panted 
after  that  tremendous  struggle  for  the  sweets  of  liberty ! 
Ah  !  you  have  fallen  beneath  a  power  mightier  than  that 
of  sinews  and  muscles  !  Your  enormous  size — your  ter- 
rible strength  have  availed  nothing  against  the  attacks  of 
the  being  who  was  destined  to  lord  it  over  every  thing  in 
the  shape  of  a  beast !  Leaving  the  huge  animal  to  be 
further  broken  by  the  frightful  pangs  of  hunger,  we  rode 
towards  home,  where  we  arrived  about  noon,  without 
meeting  with  any  incident  worthy  of  notice.  During  the 
remainder  of  the  day  we  walked  about  the  village  with 
the  Parsee,  viewing  the  sources  of  his  wealth,  and  the 
condition  of  the  inhabitants.  Order,  neatness,  and  pros- 
perity appeared  on  every  side.  The  landlord  alone  com- 
plained of  the  weight  of  taxation,  which  compelled  him, 
in  turn,  to  tax  his  tenants  to  an  enormous  extent. 

After  supper,  we  debated  the  project  of  a  tiger-hunt, 
while  we  were  waiting  to  see  the  wild  elephant  completely 
subdued.  Our  host  was  desirous  of  seeing  how  we  would 
behave  in  an  encounter  with  the  tyrant  of  the  jungle,  and 
we  were  anxious  to  show  him  some  instances  of  that  cou- 
rage and  presence  of  mind  which  our  hunting  experience 


HUNTING  THE  TIGER  WITH  ELEPHANTS.  237 

had  made  our  notable  qualities.  It  was  arranged  that  we 
should  start  the  next  morning — that  all  three  elephants 
should  be  equipped  for  carrying  parties  of  hunters  ;  and 
that  Mr.  Barrill  and  I  should  be  mounted  on  the  same 
animal  put  forward  for  the  attack.  In  the  course  of  the 
evening,  our  spirrits  were  considerably  elevated  by  the 
intelligence  that  a  servant  comunicated  to  our  host — that 
a  cow  had  been  carried  off  by  a  lion  or  a  tiger — most 
probably  the  latter,  but  a  few  nights  before. 

The  next  morning  we  were  awake  with  the  day.  The 
breakfast  was  hurried  through  as  a  matter  of  little  impor- 
tance, and  we  went  out  in  company  with  the  Parsee  pro- 
prietor, we  found  that  all  three  elephants  were  capari- 
soned for  service.  Almost  at  the  same  moment,  one  of 
the  proprietor's  servants  came  to  him  with  an  extremely 
doleful  countenance  and  announced  that  another  cow  was 
missing  and  the  tracks  of  a  tiger  were  unmistakeable.  Such 
news  as  this  caused  the  proprietor  to  be  more  eager  than  ever 
set  out  on  the  hunt.  He  was  not  a  passionate  man — 
although  a  fire  worshipper ;  but  I  could  see  that  there 
was  a  flush  upon  his  countenance  which  spoke  of  the  keenest 
desire  for  vengeance. 

The  mahouts  took  their  places.  They  were  provided 
with  long  spears  which  they  could  use  both  for  beating  up 
the  jungle  and  for  defending  themselves  against  the 
assault  of  the  tiger.  In  the  howdah  on  the  bull  elephant, 

19* 


238  HUNTING  THE  TIGER  WITH  ELEPHANTS. 

Mr.  Barrill,  the  two  Parsees,  and  I  took  our  seats — while 
upon  the  cows,  two  bands  of  Hindoos  armed  with  guns 
and  spears.  The  proprietor,  had  command  of  one  of  these 
parties.  A  servant  was  now  directed  to  show  us  th« 
traces  of  the  tiger  which  had  committed  the  depredation 
during  the  night.  He  complied  but  could  scarcely  refrain 
from  shuddering  as  he  stepped  where  the  shap  claws  had 
left  their  marks  deep  in  the  ground. 

.  Our  elephant  now  took  the  lead,  and  our  mahout  fol- 
lowed the  traces  with  an  eye'as  keen  as  that' of  an  Indian 
hunter  of  America,  beating  the  bushes  as  we  proceeded. 
The  tracks  led  us  about  a  mile  across  a  plain  covered 
wiih  longle  grass,  from  which  numerous  flocks  of  wild  fowl 
arose.  Then  we  reached  thick  clumps  of  trees  among 
which  progress  was  more  difficult.  We  had  advanced 
about  a  mile  through  this  description  of  country,  wnen 
suddenly,  all  the  elephants  drew  their  tusks  up  into  the 
air,  and  began  to  trumpet  and  stamp  violently  with  their 
fore  feet.  They  then  obeyed  the  spears  of  their  drivers 
and  moved  boldly  forward,  with  their  trunks  raised,  their 
ears  expanded,  and  their  sparkling  little  eyes  gazing  in- 
tently ahead.  "  We  are  very  near  him  now,"  said  one  of 
the  Parsees ;  "fire  where  you  see  the  long  grass  shake." 
My  rifle  was  ready,  and  I  was  anxious  of  distinguishing 
myself  by  a  telling  shot.  But  Mr.  Barrill  threatened  to 
be  a  formidable  rival.  Our  elephant  checked  his  pace 


HUNTING  THE  TIGER  WITH  ELEPHANTS.  239 

and  stamped  violently.  A  short,  ferocious  growl  followed^ 
and  I  saw  the  grass  shake  as  if  some  large  animal  was 
stealing  away.  Guessing  an  aim,  Mr.  Barrill  and  I  fired 
almost  at  the  same  moment,  and  then,  with  a  roar  of  rage 
and  pain,  the  tiger  upreared  his  head.  He  had  now  aban- 
doned all  intention  of  concealment,  and  was  determined 
to  give  battle. 

As  soon  as  the  head  of  the  tiger  appeared,  one  of 
the  Parsee  servants  fired,  but  being  a  bad  shot,  he  merely 
threw  away  the  ammunition.  The  animal  then  sprang 
towards  the  elephant's  head,  but  received  the  mahout's 
spear  in  the  mouth,  and  tumbled  backward  to  the  ground. 
Still,  victory  was  not  ours ;  for  the  ferocious  beast,  avoiding 
the  elephant's  tusks  and  feet,  sprang  upon  his  side,  and 
his  tearing  claws  were  actually  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
mahout,  who  quickly  jumped  up  into  the  howdah.  Now 
came  the  most  terrible  part  of  the  encounter.  In  trying 
to  sh/ike  off  the  tiger,  the  elephant  snapped  the  girths 
that  held  the  howdah,  and  we  fell  over  the  side,  opposite 
that  on  which  the  tiger  had  sprang.  The  scene  of  fright 
and  confusion  that  ensued,  baffles  description.  The  Parsees 
were  tumbled  some  distance  into  the  jungle,  while  Mr. 
Barrill  and  I  alighted  on  our  feet.  The  tiger  slipped  to 
the  ground  and  ran  under  the  elephant's  huge  legs  to  get 
at  us.  We  met  him  coolly,  and  at  the  same  moment  he 
received  the  contents  of  a  barrel  from  each  of  us,  and 


240  HUNTING  THE  TIGER  WITH  ELEPHANTS. 

when  his  horrible  claws  were  within  a  short  distance  of 
my  body,  tumbled  dead,  almost  under  the  feet  of  the 
elephant. 

A  tremendous  shout  announced  our  triumph.  It  was 
with  much  difficulty  the  mahout  could  restrain  the  en- 
raged elephant  from  trampling  the  dead  tiger  to  pieces. 
But  he  succeeded  in  keeping  him  back ;  and  then  our 
rejoicing  friends  descended  to  take  a  survey  of  the  animal 
that  had  given  such  ferocious  battle.  He  was  the  largest 
of  his  kind  that  I  had  ever  seen.  His  body  was  much 
heavier  than  that  of  the  common  lion,  and  of  astonishing 
length.  The  skin  was  very  beautiful,  although  streaked 
with  blood.  The  eyes  glared  fiercely  even  in  death ;  and' 
the  superstitious  Hindoos  hurried  to  singe  off  the  blood- 
stained whiskers,  as  if  fearful  that  his  spirit  might  con- 
tinue "  the  deeds  done  in  the  body." 

Our  howdah  was  now  replaced,  and  fastened  more  se- 
curely than  before.  The  body  of  the  tiger  was  wrapped 
in  a  large  cloth,  to  conceal  it  from  the  gaze  of  the  ele- 
phants, and  placed  upon  the  back  of  one  of  the  females. 
We  then  returned  in  triumph  to  the  village — our  Hindoos 
singing  a  rejoicing  chorus,  and  making  all  manner  of 
noises,  imitative  of  the  beasts  of  the  forest.  A  crowd  wel- 
comed us,  and  when  the  body  of  the  tiger  was,  displayed 
there  was  much  exultation.  We  yielded  entire  possession 
of  the  vanquished  monster  to  our  host,  as  a  compensation 


KETUEN  TO  THE  CAPTIVE  ELEPHANT.      241 

foi  his  trouble  in  gratifying  our  wishes.  The  bull  elephant 
presented  a  bleeding  side,  but  the  mahout  said  that  he 
could  dress  the  gashes,  so  that  they  would  heal  within  a 
week.  The  remainder  of  this  day  was  spent  in  festivity. 
The  next  morning,  we  proceeded  on  the  female  elephants 
to  see  the  effects  of  hunger  in  subduing  the  spirit  of  the 
wild  elephant.  Two  of  the  servants  who  followed  the  pro- 
prietor, carried  a  small  quantity  of  hay,  which  was  to  be 
given  to  the  captive  beast,  if  he  should  exhibit  a  sufficiently 
docile  disposition.  Arriving  at  the  spot  where  the  animal 
was  tied,  we  started  him  to  his  feet ;  but  he  made  no  de- 
monstration of  hostility.  On  the  contrary,  he  looked  im- 
ploringly at  us.  A  mahout  then  took  some  hay  in  his 
hand,  and  boldly  advanced  towards  the  suffering  bull, 
proffering  the  food.  The  elephant  drew  back  at  first ; 
but,  seeing  the  mahout's  kind  intention,  put  out  his  trunk, 
and  took  some  of  the  hay.  Then  the  man  retired.  As 
soon  as  the  morsel  of  hay  was  dispatched,  the  captive  com- 
menced calling  piteously  for  more,  and  after  a  few  minutes 
the  mahout  gave  him  another  handful.  This  was  all  that 
could  be  safely  allowed.  The  mahout  then  slipped  stout 
ropes  over  the  tusks  of  the  captive,  and  tied  them  to  those 
of  the  females,  drawing  them  up,  so  that  the  bull  had  a 
female  friend  on  each  side  of  him.  The  feet  were  then 
released,  and  we  set  out  for  the  village.  The  mahouts 

were  armed  with  spears,  and  as  they  rode  by  the  side  of 

21 


242  AHMEDABAD. 

the  bull,  they  occasionally  pricked  him  when  he  did  not 
walk  at  an  even  pace  with  the  cows.  In  this  way  to  our 
astonishment,  the  captive  was  quietly  led  to  the  village, 
and  secured  for  training.  Such  is  the  power  of  man  over 
the  mightiest  lords  of  the  forest ! 

Mr.  Barrill  now  expressed  his  determination  to  start 
for  Ahmedabad  on  the  next  morning,  and  also  his  design 
of  making  that  city  the  limit  of  his  journey  northward. 
He  had  seen  and  enjoyed  the  most  splendid  sports  of  the 
East  and  he  now  began  to  be  anxious  to  return  to  England. 
Accordingly,  the  next  morning,  we  ate  a  farewell  meal 
with  our  kind  host,  and  wishing  that  heaven  would  shower 
blessing  upon  him  and  all  under  his  care,  bade  him  adieu 
and  rode  away.  Our  horses  had  been  finely  kept,  and 
were  now  in  excellent  travelling  order.  The  route  was 
pleasant  and  so  diversified  in  scenery,  that  we  were  con- 
tinually interested  by  novel  views.  We  were  soon  amidst 
the  cultivated  country  which  usually  surrounds  a  large 
city  of  India. 

About  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  we  reached  Ahme- 
dabad, the  large  and  populous  capital  of  Guzerat,  where 
we  determined  to  end  our  journey  northward.  This  ancient 
city  has  declin'd  but  it  is  still  a  busy,  flourishing  place, 
containing  some  buildings  which  serve  to  remind  the  tra- 
veller of  its  former  splendor.  The  trade  is  extensive, 
though  but  a  rivulet  in  comparison  with  the  original  trade 


ME.  BARRILL'S  SICKNESS.  243 

which  brought  so  much  wealth  and  prosperity  within  its 
walls.  The  population  numbers  about  one  hundred  thou- 
sand souls,  equally  divided  between  the  Hindoos  and  the 
Mohammedans. 

My  friend  had  been  suffering  in  health  for  several  days. 
He  had  not  complained  much ;  but  I  could  see  sickness 
in  his  growing  weakness,  and  in  the  hectic  of  his  counte- 
nance.    Repeatedly  did  I  e  ^press  my  anxiety  on  his  ac- 
count, but  he  always  silenced  me,  by  remark,  ig  that  the 
trifling  illness  would  soon  pass-  away.     But  I  knew  his  real 
situation.      As  soon   as  we  were  comfortably  fixed   in 
lodgings,  in  Ahmed abad,  I  sought  out  an  English  physi- 
cian, the  only  one  in  the  city,  and  brought  him  to  my 
friend,  who  had  now  become  so  ill  that  he  could  not  walk 
about.     Dr.  O'Toole,  as  the  physician  was  named,  quickly 
decided  upon  the  nature  of  Mr.  Barrill's  sickness.     He 
said  that  he  was  about  to  suffer  from  a  severe  attack  of 
the  malignant  fever,  which  strangers  usually  take  by  long 
exposure  in  hot  countries ;  and  from  that  day  until  the 
expiration  of  six  weeks,  my  friend's  body  was  a  ball  of 
play  between  life  and  death.     I  never  left  his  bedside  ex- 
cept to  satisfy  the  demands  of  nature.     If  he  had  been  my 
brother,  he  could  not  have  received  more  entire  sympathy 
from  me.     He  mentioned  no  want,  however  trifling,  that 
I  did  not  make  an  effort  to  supply.     Oh !    how  joyfully 
my  heart  beat,  when  the  doctor  confirmed  me  in  the  belief 


244  RETURN  TO  BOMBAY. 

that  he  was  convalescent.  At  length,  he  was  able  to  ride 
out,  and  a  couple  of  weeks  of  such  exercise  restored  him 
to  such  a  degree  of  vigor  that  he  determined  to  prepare 
at  once,  for  our  return  to  Bombay.  Our  expenses  during 
this  alarming  period  of  affliction,  were  very  heavy,  as  may 
be  supposed,  and  doubtless,  my  friend,  although  the  least 
sordid  of  men,  began  to  think  that  his  expedition  was 
costing  beyond  what  he  could  afford  to  spend.  However 
that  might  have  been,  we  made  hasty  preparation  for  our 
return  by  water.  A  coasting  vessel,  of  the  kind  called  an 
Indian  ketch,  was  chartered  and  stored  with  every  thing 
supposed  to  be  needed  for  such  a  voyage.  Our  horses 
were  sold.  They  had  seen  hard  service,  but  were,  never- 
theless, in  excellent  condition,  owing  to  their  good  treat- 
ment during  the  long  period  of  my  friend's  illness.  Our 
other  sporting  apparatus  and  the  trophies  of  the  chase 
were  preserved. 

The  voyage  down  the  Sabematty,  and  thence,  by  the 
Gulf  of  Cambay,  to  Bombay,  occupied  two  weeks.  During 
the  greater  part  of  the  trip  we  had  pleasant  weather.  But 
when  exposed  to  the  gales  of  the  Indian  Ocean,  not  far 
above  Bombay,  we  experienced  a  rough  sea.  However, 
we  reached  the  city  in  safety. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

LEAVE  BOMBAY  FOR  SUEZ.  JOURNEY  THROUGH 
EGYPT.  SAIL  FROM  ALEXANDRIA  FOR  GIB- 
RALTAR. JOURNEY  THROUGH  SPAIN.  CROSS- 
ING  THE  PYRENEES.  ENCOUNTER  WITH  A 
BEAR.  FRANCE.  ENGLAND. 

AT  Bombay,  we  found  a  noble  steamer  about  to  sail 
for  Suez.  Our  arrangements  were  speedly  made  for  the 
voyage — and  on  the  third  day  after  we  left  the  coasting 
ketch,  we  bade  adieu  to  Bombay  and  India,  as  regards 
myself— forever.  My  emotions  on  leaving  India,  were 
of  a  somewhat  sorrowful  nature.  I  remembered  many  a 
monotonous,  depressing  journey  through  its  wild  scenery, 
but  I  also  called  to  mind  the  amiable  hospitality  with 
which  the  natives  had  received  us  total  strangers — some 
magnificent  scenery  revelling  in  luxuriant  beauty — edifices 
that  told  of  the  arts  hundreds  of  years  before — sport  in 
hunting  the  monarchs  of  the  forests — and  glorious  strife 
with  wild  animals  peerless  in  strength  agility  and  ferocity, 

21*  (245) 


246  LEAVE  BOMBAY  FOR  SUEZ. 

We  now  resumed  the  writing  of  our  journal.  Upon 
paper,  the  scenes  and  incidents  of  our  expedition  in  India 
were  found  more  interesting  than  they  had  been  while 
merely  holding  them  in  the  slippery  hand  of  memory — 
such  is  the  power  of  written  language,  which  can  invest, 
what  at  the  first  glance  seems  dull  and  insipid,  with  all 
the  rainbow  enchantment  of  fancy.  The  even  tenor  of 
the  voyage  through  the  Indian  ocean  was  not  marred  by 
either  rough  weather  or  unpleasant  occurence.  We  passed 
within  sight  of  many  isles,  which  appeared  like  shinning 
emeralds  upon  the  bosom  of  the  deep.  In  this  tropical 
sea,  all  the  childish  recollections  of  islands  far  upon  the 
ocean  where  good  and  evil  genii  have  their  abode,  and 
where  true  lovers  receive  rapturous  compensation  for  all 
the  trials  to  which  they  have  been  subjected  come  back 
to  the  mind  during  such  a  voyage  as  that  in  which  we 
were  now  engaged.  In  the  evening  we  occasionally  sat 
upon  deck  to  view  the  gorgeous  sunset !  and  if  at  such  a 
time  we  happened  to  be  passing  one  of  these  verdant,  I 
fancied  that  instead  of  riding  the  waves  in  a  steam-ship, 
the  magical  wonder  of  those  days — I  was  seated  upon  the 
back  of  of  one  of  those  splendid  and  intelligent  dolphins 
which  are  said  to  have  obeyed  the  commands  of  genii,  in 
the  Arabian  tales. 

At  length  we  entered  the  Red  Sea,  and  I  found  myself 
voyaging  between  shores,  hallowed  by  sacred  aud  histo- 


AREIVE  AT  SUEZ.  247 

rical  associations.  The  Bed  Sea!  The  children  of 
Israel — Pharoah  and  his  fated  host — and  the  grand, 
inspired  deeds  of  Moses — when  will  your  interest  fade  ? 
The  waters  of  the  sea  had  a  yellowish  red  hue,  which 
gives  it  the  famous  name  of  the  Red  Sea.  The  shore 
was  low  and  sandy,  for  on  each  side  stretched  away  the 
lands  of  the  desert. 

On  reaching  Suez,  a  busy  scene  presented  itself.  This 
city  is  rapidly  rising  under  the  influence  of  British  com- 
merce, to  an  importance  which  it  never  before  possessed. 
It  is  now  one  of  the  grand  depots  of  the  shortest  route  to 
India,  and  a  flourishing  place  in  every  respect.  Suez  is 
well  fortified.  The  mass  of  the  houses  resembled  in  style 
those  which  I  afterwards  saw  at  Cairo,  being  small  and 
gloomy,  while  the  streets  were  narrow  and  dirty.  The 
buildings  erected  for  the  use  of  the  Company  are  decidedly 
the  best  in  the  town.  Here  we  saw  numerous  Englishmen, 
and  Mr.  Barrill  informed  me  that  British  influence  is  now 
even  more  dominant  in  Egypt,  than  it  has  been  for  many 
years  in  Portugal.  John  Bull  has  an  eye  for  commercial 
advantages  about  as  keen  as  the  restless  Brother  Jona- 
than, and  in  the  land  of  Pharoah,  the  results  of  his 
shrewd  enterprise  are  extensively  manifest.  The  Gulf  of 
Suez,  which  is  now  shallow  as  to  be  fordable  at  low  water, 
is  said  to  be  the  scene  of  the  submersion  of  Pharoah  and 
his  host. 


248  ARRIVE  AT  CAIRO. 

Learning  that  Grand  Cairo  was  full  eighty-six  miles 
from  Suez,  we  determined  to  begin  our  journey  as  quickly 
as  possible ;  as  the.accomodations  for  travellers  are  mise- 
rable at  Suez.     The  Company's  overland  route  to  Alex- 
andria has  some  features  which  may  render  a  brief  de- 
scription interesting.      We  entered  a  strong  stage,  or 
omnibus,  drawn  by  four  horses,  and  proceeded  across  the 
desert.     Other  stages  followed,  making  a  considerable 
train.     At  every  ten  miles  there  was  a  station  where  the 
horses  were  changed,  and  the  passengers  obtained  refresh- 
ment.    The  scenery  was  monotonous,  for  on  all  sides 
stretched  away  a  vast  plain  of  sand.     But  the  novelty 
of  riding  across  a  desert  in  a  stage,  kept  us  in  a  pleasing 
state  of  excitement.     We  arrived  at  the  central  station 
about  dusk,  and  there  were  allowed  a  few  hours  repose. 
Proceeding  on  through  the  same  description  of  country  as 
before,  we  arrived  in  sight  of  Grand  Cairo,  late  in" the 
afternoon.     What  an  enlivening  contrast  of  its  towers 
and  domes  with  the  dull,  monotonous  level  over  which  the 
stages  had  carried  us. 

We  had  comfortable  lodgings  at  Cairo  for  one  night. 
The  general  aspect  of  this  city  is  dingy  and  prison-like. 
The  streets  are  narrow  and  gloomy,  being  over-shadowed 
by  the  Moslem  dwellings,  which  almost  embrace  each  other 
above  the  first  story.  Arabs,  Armenians,  Copts,  Egyp- 
tians? Greeks,  Jews,  Syrians,  and  Turks,  «ach  in  their 


ARRIVE  AT  ALEXANDRIA.  249 

peculiar  costume,  were  walking  the  streets  as  we  entered. 
Women,  shrouded  in  long  loose  robes,  and  masked,  were 
dodging  their  way  through  the  dusky  throng,  casting  vo- 
luptuous glances  as  they  passed.  We  found  that  many 
of  the  edifices  were  well-built,  and  some  of  the  mosques 
were  really  grand ;  that  of  Sultan  Hassan  being  above 
all  others  in  Cairo.  The  next  morning  after  our  arrival, 
we  entered  an  omnibus,  drawn  by  donkeys,  and  were 
driven  from  Cairo  to  the  port  of  Borlac,  on  the  Nile,  just 
two  miles  distant. '  There  we  got  aboard  of  a  large,  but 
uncouth-looking"  steamboat,  and  started  for  Atfee.  This 
voyage  occupied  about  thirty  hours.  During  the  day,  we 
had  splendid  views  of  the  classic  scenery  on  both  sides  of 
the  Nile.  Here  and  there  upon  the  sand,  or  in  the  midst 
of  the  verdure,  were  ruins  of  temples  which  must  have 
been  magnificent  when  originally  erected.  Upon  small 
islands  in  the  Nile,  we  saw  portions  of  temples,  in  that 
style  of  gloomy  grandeur  which  was  characteristic  of  the 
genius  of  the  ancient  Egyptians.  We  reached  Atfee,  in 
the  middle  of  the  night,  and  secured  miserable  lodgings 
until  morning. 

When  day  broke,  we  found  ourselves  at  a  dingy  little 
depot,  at  the 'mouth  of  the  Mahmoudie  canal.  After 
breakfast,  we  got  aboard  of  the  narrow,  covered  boats 
provided  for  our  accommodation,  a  steamboat  was  atached 
and  we  were  towed  away  towards  Alexandria.  This  was 


250  LEAVE  ALEXANDRIA  FOR  GIBRALTAR. 

a  tedious  portion  of  the  trip  overland,  but  we  contrived  to 
keep  up  our  spirits  until  we  reached  the  famous  city  of 
Alexandria,  about  noon,  on  the  second  day  after  leaving 
Atfee.  The  view  of  the  city,  the  adjacent  ruins — among 
which  Pompey's  Pillar  and  Cleopatra's  Needle  were  con- 
spicuous— and  the  broad  Mediterranean,  lying  like  a  plain 
of  burnished  gold  beneath  the  blazing  sun,  was  glorious. 

We  were  allowed  to  stop  one  day  at  Alexandria,  and  as 
we  employed  our  time  well,  we  had  an  opportunity  of 
visiting  every  place  of  note  in  the  city  and  the  vicinity. 
We  rode  among  the  splendid  ruins  of  ancient  Alexandria, 
and  endeavored  to  form  an  idea  from  them  of  the  extent 
and  magnificence  of  the  city,  in  the  age  of  the  Ptolemies. 
But  imagination  was  either  too  weak,  or  the  materials  for 
the  work  were  too  scanty.  In  the  fine  harbor  of  Alex- 
andria, rode  the  extensive  navy  of  Egypt.  It  consisted 
of  numerous  large  vessels,  well-manned,  and  gaudily  deco- 
rated, so  that  they  presented  a  splendid  appearance ;  but 
experience  has  shown  that  these  war-ships  cannot  contend 
with  those  of  Europe. 

Early  the  next  morning,  we  hurried  aboard  the  steamer, 
which  was  bound  for  England,  by  the  Gibraltar  route. 
Mr.  Bar  rill  engaged  passage  as  far  as  Gibraltar,  whence 
he  designed  to  travel  by  way  of  Spain  and  France  to  Eng- 
land. By  this  route  he  thought  I  would  gain  some  know- 
bdge  of  European  countries.  We  were  soon  far  out  in 


THE  ROCK  OF  GIBRALTAR.  251 

the  Mediterranean — the  great  tideless  sea — around  the 
shores  of  which  civilization  had  clung  so  long  before  reach- 
ing to  the  New  World — where  so  much  of  glory  had 
appeared — and  where  the  shores  were  paved  with  the 
ruins  of  ancient  magnificence. 

We  stopped  at  Malta,  and  also  at  Algiers ;  but  made  no 
stay  at  either  of  those  places.  After  a  remarkably  quick 
passage,  we  came  in  sight  of  the  great  rock  of  Gibraltar, 
and  the  strongest  fortress  in  the  world.  The  fortress  lies 
on  the  west  side  of  a  huge  promontory,  projecting  south- 
ward into  the  sea  about  three  miles.  The  north  side 
fronting  the  low  and  narrow  isthmus,  which  connects  it 
with  the  main  land,  is  perpendicular,  and  wholly  inacces- 
sible ;  the  east  and  south  sides,  steep  and  rugged,  and  ex- 
tremely difficult  of  access.  It  is  only  on  the  west 
side,  where  the  rock  declines  to  the  sea,  and  where  the 
town  is  built,  that  Gibraltar  can  be  attacked  with  the 
faintest  hope  of  success.  Here,  however,  the  fortifications 
are  so  strong  that  they  seem  impregnable  even  to  an 
enemy  commanding  the  sea. 

Entering  the  town  of  Gibraltar,  we  found  it  a  handsome, 
well-built  place.  The  principal  street  is  broad,  paved  in  a 
substantial  style,  and  lighted  by  numerous  lamps.  The 
chief  fault  observable,  is  that  the  houses  are  generally 
built  in  a  style  better  suited  for  the  climate  of  England 
than  that  of  Spain.  This  circumstance  accounts  for  the 


262  JOURNEY  THROUGH  SPAIN. 

contagious  fevers  with  which  the  town  is  sometimes 
scourged.  Mr.  Barrill  here  purchased  two  horses  and  a 
pack-mule,  which  were  equipped  for  a  journey  through 
Spain,  and  on  the  second  day  after  we  had  left  the  steamer 
we  started. 

My  friend  had  previously  travelled  through  both  Spain 
and  France.  He  was  well  acquainted  with  the  character 
of  the  route  we  were  to  pursue,  and  could  speak  the  lan- 
guage of  the  people  fluently.  As  we  journeyed  at  our 
leisure,  he  noted  every  incident  from  which  we  could  ex- 
tract the  slightest  pleasure,  pointed  out  many  interesting 
spots  that  escaped  my  observation,  elicited  the  national 
characteristics  by  communicating  with  almost  every  person 
we  met,  and  proved  himself  altogether  as  lively  a  travelling 
companion  as  one  could  desire.  To  me,  who  had  enjoyed 
but  trifling  educational  advantages,  his  rambling,  patch- 
work conversation,  afforded  much  useful  information. 
Spain  teems  with  localities,  made  interesting  by  historical 
association ;  and  as  my  friend  was  particularly  well  read 
in  the  historical  part  of  literature,  he  narrated  many  stories 
of  fact,  which  were  nutritious  food  to  my  naturally  hungry 
mind. 

We  travelled  but  twenty  miles  on  the  first  day  of  our 
journey.  Yet  those  twenty  miles  had  more  variety  and 
interest  than  a  hundred  of  our  expedition  along  the  sultry 
coast  of  Guzerat.  I  was  greatly  alarmed  at  the  appearance 


253  PEOPLE  OP  SPAIN. 

of  the  country.  Although  not  abounding  in  evidences  of 
prosperity,  it  was  filled  with  beautiful  and  romantic  scenery. 
Hill  and  dale  succeeded  each  other  along  the  route.  Here, ' 
fresh  vineyards  smiled  among  a  fortification  of  crags — 
there,  a  cluster  of  ancient  vine  covered  cottages  were 
nestled  in  a  dell.  I  had  heard  that  the  Spaniards  were  a 
serious,  melancholy,  and  treacherous  nation ;  and  accord- 
ingly looked  with  pity  and  distrust  upon  almost  every 
person  I  met.  Yet  I  found  that  every  village  resounded 
•with  the  music  of  voices  and  guitars.  The  people  talked 
loudly  and  with  much  vehemence.  Like  most  of  the 
natives  of  warm  climates,  they  are  filthy  in  their  persons. 

We  found  four  classes  of  people  in  Southern  Spain,  viz  : 
the  nobility,  wealthy,  and  arrogant;  the  priests — un- 
bounded in  their  influence  over  the  lower  classes ;  the  la- 
boring peasantry,  wretched  and  ignorant,  and  the  beggars, 
degraded  below  the  meanest  wretches  of  other  European 
countries.  Cloaks  and  broad-brimmed  hats  were  gene- 
rally worn  by  the  men,  and  mantillas  and  furs-are  in  uni- 
versal use  among  the  females. 

We  travelled  continually  in  dread  of  the  banditti,  who, 
we  were  informed,  were  very  numerous  throughout  the 
rural  districts  of  Southern  Spain.  It  is  said  that  the 
poorer  class  of  Spaniards  have  a  natural  fondness  for  the 
life  of  a  bandit — they  are  attracted  by  its  freedom,  its  ro- 
mance, and  its  exciting  adventure.  But  perhaps  the  real 

22 


254  ENCOUNTER  WITH  A  BEAR. 

cause  of  the  existence  of  the  numerous  banditti,  is  the 
slavery  and  extreme  poverty  of  the  lower  classes,  which 
either  drive  those  people  to  a  desperate  life  of  crime,  or 
causes  them  to  prefer  seeking  an  uncertain  subsistence  on 
the  highway  to  spending  all  their  days  drudging  to  no 
purpose.  Be  this  as  it  may,  it  is  certain  that  the  bandits 
have  numerous  friends  in  every  village  to  apprize  them  of 
chances  for  robbery. 

But  books  of  travel  are  too  numerous  to  permit  any  de 
tail  of  a  simple  journey  through  Spain.  We  passed 
through  that  splendid  variety  of  scenery  for  which  the 
peninsula  is  remarkable,  visited  some  of  the  most  ancient 
and  celebrated  cities — witnessed  a  bull-fight  at  Madrid — 
made  two  narrow  escapes  from  pursuing  banditti — and  at 
length  reached  Burgos,  at  the  foot  of  the  Pyrenees— the 
lofty  mountain  barrier  of  Spain.  This  town  has  a  pic- 
turesque situation,  and  contains  a  splendid  cathedral  and 
many  handsome  residences.  At  the  hotel  on  the  moun- 
tain side,  where  we  stopped  for  the  night,  we  were  greatly 
entertained  by  the  stories  of  a  hunter  of  the  Pyrenees, 
who  seemed  to  have  a  firm  belief  that  he  was  of  legitimate 
descent  from  Nimrod,  because  he  had  been  very  successful 
as  a  slayer  of  common  black  bears.  However,  some  of 
his  stories  were  of  thrilling  interest,  even  to  us  universal 
sportsmen.  One  of  them  I  will  narrate  in  his  own  words. 

"Last  fall,"  said  the  Spaniard,  "bears  were  very  nu- 


ENCOUNTER  WITH  A  BEAR.  255 

merous  upon  the  mountains,  about  ten  miles  southeast  of 
Burgos;  and  I  killed  several  which  were  uncommonly 
large  and  ferocious.  One  day,  my  brother  Pedro — a  £reat 
hunter  he  is,  senors,  though  not  quite  as  sure  a  shot  as 
myself — started  in  pursuit  of  a  bear,  which  had  carried  off 
a  poor  shepherd's  largest  ewe.  We  were  armed  with  short 
guns,  like  the  one  you  see  standing  in  the  corner,  yonder, 
leaning  against  the  wall,"  (we  saw  it,  and  a  miserable 
piece  of  ordnance  it  was ;  and  accompanied  by  a  bold  dog, 
whom  we  called  Wolf,  on  account  of.  his  striking  resem- 
blance to  that  ravenous  animal)  "  a  wonderful  dog,  that, 
senors,  heart  like  a  lion.  We  started  upon  the  track  of 
the  bear,  about  dawn,  and  followed  it  up  the  mountain,  in 
an  oblique  direction,  over  crags  and  precipices,  and  through 
some  of  the  thickest  underwood  I  have  seen,  until  late  in  the 
afternoon — when  we  suddenly  came  upon  the  animal, 
sitting  erect  upon  a  lofty  crag,  overlooking  a  torrent. 
Across  this  torrent,  a  large  oak  had  fallen,  making  a 
natural  bridge.  The  bear  was  sitting  at  the  root  of  the 
tree.  The  barking  of  Wolf  gave  us  the  first  warning  of 
his  presence,  and  he  saw  us  at  the  same  moment.  As 
quick  as  lightning,  I  leaped  over  the  fallen  tree,  and  fired 
at  the  breast  of  the  bear.  The  monster  received  the  bullet 
as  he  sprang  towards  me  and  reared  on  his  hind  legs.  It 
did  not  check  him  for  a  moment.  My  brother  then  fired, 
but  the  bullet  glanced  over  the  head  of  the  bear  and  the 


256  ENCOUNTER  WITH  A  BEAR. 

animal  pressed  me  backward  almost  to  the  edge  of  the 
crag,  beneath  which  the  torrent  was  dashing  with  fury.  In 
vain  Mid  I  club  my  gun  ;  as  I  struck,  the  bear  caught  it 
in  his  paw,  and  wrenched  it  from  my  grasp.  Then,  almost 
on  the  very  edge  of  the  rock,  the  monster  grappled  me  to 
his  breast  in  spite  of  my  struggles,  and  tumbled  me  to  the 
ground.  Ugh  !  what  a  hug !  and  what  rips  the  claws 
made  in  my  arms  and  back  !  I  struggled  hard  to  roll  the 
monster  under  me,  and  to  keep  back  from  the  precipice. 
But  my  efforts  were  unavailing,  and  before  either  Wolf  or 
my  brother  could  come  to  my  assistance,  I  was  hanging 
over  the  crag,  almost  breathless,  while  the  sound  of  the 
torrent  dashing  among  the  rocks  below  rang  in  my  ears 
like  a  knell.  I  muttered  a  prayer,  for  to  the  best  of  my 
belief,  my  hour  had  come.  My  brother  reloaded  but  he 
dared  not  fire  for  fear  of  hitting  me.  But  Wolf — brave 
Wolf — sprang  forward,  and  seized  the  bear  by  the  ear, 
thus  compelling  him  to  quit  his  hold.  Such  was  the  nature 
of  the  spot  where  I  was  lying,  that  I  dared  not  attempt  to 
rise,  being  fearful  that  I  might  slip  backwards  into  the. 
awful  abyss  below.  Then  came  a  sickening  sensation.  I 
forgot  all  the  horrors  around  me — I  had  fainted.  When  my 
senses  returned,  I  found  myself  lying  under  a  ledge  of  a 
rock.  My  brother,  terribly  gashed  about  the  countenance, 
kneeling  beside  me,  bathing  my  temples,  with  his  wet  scarf. 
Near  him,  the  bleeding  and  panting  Wolf  was  licking  the 


ENCOUNTER  WITH  A  BEAR.  257 

blood  from  his  wounds ;  and  the  monster  with  whom  we 
had  been  contending,  was  lying,  a  lifeless  heap,  almost  upon 
the  edge  of  the  crag.  As  soon  as  I  was  sufficiently  re- 
covered to  listen,  my  brother  informed  me  that  he  had  a 
severe  conflict  with  the  bear,  after  rescuing  me  from  the 
monster's  clutches,  and  that  the  struggle  had  been  termi- 
nated, by  a  thrust  of  his  knife,  as  the  bear  was  holding 
him  down  upon  the  rock.  Wolf  had  endeavored  to  perform 
his  duty,  but  had  been  nearly  disabled  by  a  stroke  in  the 
side  given  by  the  bear's  hind  foot.  We  rested  at  that 
bloody  spot  that  night ;  and  the  next  morning,  although 
we  both  felt  very  sore  and  stiff,  we  made  a  litter  for  the 
bear,  and  succeeded  in  conveying  the  prize  to  a  house 
near  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  I  was  then  put  to  bed, 
and  two  weeks  elapsed  before  I  was  able  to  get  up  again. 
I  tell  you,  senors,  the  hug  of  that  bear  causes  me  to  shudder 
even  now." 

The  Spaniard  doubtless,  expected  us  to  be  very  much 
astonished  ;  but  he  was  disappointed.  Mr.  Barrill  with  a 
quiet,  unpretending  manner,  then  launched  forth  in  a 
narrative  of  some  of  our  adventures,  designed  to  en- 
lighten the  Hunter  of  the  Pyrenees  in  regard  to  the  expe- 
rience of  his  audience.  As  each  phase  of  our  sporting 
life  was  unfolded,  the  eyes  of  the  Spaniard  kept  pace  in 
their  expansion,  and  before  we  retired  for  the  night,  we 
put  him  in  a  state  of  dumb  amazement.  It  was  doubtful, 

9-7* 


258  ARRIVE  IN  FRANCE. 

however,  whether  he  believed  us  to  be  mighty  Nimrods  or 
descendants  of  Munchausen. 

The  next  morning  we  started  to  cross  the  Pyrenees. 
The  road  was  broad,  unobstructed,  and  of  easy  ascent. 
It  is  considered  by  far  the  best  road  across  this  range. 
We  found  it  lined  with  a  picturesque  succession  of  wood 
and  crag,  and  the  large  oaks  that  appeared  among  the 
forests,  gave  an  aspect  of  freshness  and  beauty  to  the 
side  of  the  mountain  which  is  not  to  be  found  in  any  other 
range  of  equal  elevation.  The  scenery  of  the  Pyrenees 
is  not  so  sublime  in  its  character.  An  exalted  kind  of 
beauty,  it  certainly  possesses ;  but  it  lacks  those  enormous 
piles  of  rock,  and  those  tremendous  precipices,  which  are 
necessary  to  convey  an  idea  of  sublimity.  We  obtained 
a  glorious  view  of  the  country  stretching  away  from  the 
foot  of  the  range.  The  varied  succession  of  towns,  villages, 
and  vineyards,  with  here  and  there,  the  spires  of  a  mon- 
astery, or  convent  arising  like  "visible  prayers,"  from 
among  groves  of  trees,  and  over  all,  a  sky  of  living  blue, 
made  up  a  scene  as  romantic  and  beautiful  as  the  traveller 
may  wish  to  behold.  Late  in  the  afternoon,  we  arrived 
at  the  foot  of  the  range  on  the  opposite  side,  and  stood 
upon  the  soil  of  France. 

I  will  not  detain  my  reader  with  an  account  of  what 
I  saw  in  la  belle  France — it  has  nothing  to  do  with  my 
hunter  life.  At  Bayonne,  we  disposed  of  our  animals, 


LEAVE  FRANCE.  259 

and  thence  travelled  to  Paris,  in  the  public  conveyance. 
We  remained  in  that  splendid  capital  three  daysj  during 
which  I  visited  every  edifice  of  renown,  and  had  the  best 
opportunity  of  seeing  how  the  Parisians  contrive  to  laugh 
and  dance  away  the  hours  allotted  them  on  earth.  We 
then  proceeded  to  Calais,  and  thence  by  steamer  to  Dover, 
and  I  found  myself  in  that  renowned  old  England,  which 
BO  many  Americans  delight  to  call  our  mother  country. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

ENGLAND.  MR.  BARRILL'S  COUNTRY  SEAT.  A 
HUNTING  EXPEDITION  TO  TYROL.  OUR  FIRST 
CHAMOIS  HUNT  AND  ITS  THRILLING  INCI- 
DENTS. ADVENTURES  OF  CHAMOIS  HUNTERS. 
RETURN  TO  ENGLAND.  PREPARE  TO  START 
FOR  AMERICA. 

MY  observations  of  English  life  as  I  saw  it  in  my  trip 
from  Dover  to  London,  and  from  the  great  "province 
of  houses,"  to  Mr.  Barrill's  country  seat,  in  Kent,  were 
not  very  favorable.  So  many  beggars — and  so  many 
people,  who  looked  worn-out  with  toil,  and  yet  were 
wretchedly  provided,  I  had  never  before  beheld.  There 
seemed  to  be  but  two  classes — the  very  rich  and  the  very 
poor — and  between  the  two  was  an  impassable  gulf.  The 
upper  class  treated  the  laborers  with  a  contempt  such  as 
in  most  countries  is  only  bestowed  upon  the  criminal. 
The  taint  of  aristocracy  seemed  to  have  reached  every 
thing  in  town  and  country.  London  astonished  me. 
(260) 


fill 

,      :  ^   !'":     '* 

•'    ~   ^  -  y  *  ''  " 


SCENE  AT  BROWN'S  HOLE. 


ARRIVAL  AT  MR.  BARRILI/S  HOME.  261 

And  I  pitied  the  miserable  beings  who  were  compelled  to 
drag  out  an 'existence  in  such  a  gloomy  prison  of  houses. 
My  impressions  were  not  concealed  from  Mr.  Barrill,  nor 
were  they  offensive.  He  said  that  England  had  some 
beautiful  scenes,  and  that  it  was  endeared  to  him  as  the 
home  of  his  fathers,  but  as  a  place  of  residence,  he  ac- 
knowledged that  it  was  greatly  inferior  to  most  countries 
we  had  visited. 

I  was  heartly  glad  when  we  arrived  at  the  country 
seat  in  the  county  of  Kent.  It  was  a  beautiful  estate  of 
about  two  hundred  acres,  well-arranged  and  watered,  and 
having  some  nicely  arranged  scenes  in  imitation  of  nature. 
The  mansion  was  a  structure  of  a  venerable  aspect,  but 
spacious  and  commodious.  A  small  stable  and  a  kennel 
adjoined  a  great  stone  barn,  but  they  were  now  scantly 
filled.  An  old  couple  and  their  stalwart  son,  named  John, 
of  course — had  resided  in  the  mansion  during  Mr.  Ban-ill's 
absence.  They  seemed  extremely  glad  to  see  him,  and 
from  the  kindly  way  in  which  he  spoke  to  them,  I  have 
no  doubt  of  their  sincerity.  We  found  that  the  trophies 
of  our  hunting  expeditions  had  arrived,  and  the  boxes,  un- 
opened, were  ranged  in  the  great  hall. 

I  remained  two  weeks  at  this  hospitable  mansion,  as- 
sisting Mr.  Barrill  to  unpack  and  arrange  his  stock  of 
trophies — hearing  stories  of  his  ancestry,  whose  portraits 
looked  stifly  from  the  walls  of  the  library — examining  the 


262          EXPEDITION  TO  THE  TYROL. 

grounds  of  the  estate,  and  visiting  neighboring  gentlemen. 
I  found  Mr.  Barrill  was  greatly  esteemed  in  that  part  of 
the  country.  Our  adventures  made  us  the  "  lions"  of  the 
time.  We  were  feasted  in  all  directions,  and  our  tongues 
were  wearied  of  recounting  what  we  had  seen  and  done 
in  distant  lands.  One  morning,  Mr.  Barrill  came  to  me 
as  I  was  walking  in  the  noble  park,  and  asked  me  how  I 
would  like  to  accompany  him  in  some  more  hunting  expe- 
ditions; of  course,  I  replied  I  was  ready  to  go  with  him  in 
any  direction  he  chose,  and  he  then  mentioned  that  he  had 
suddenly  determined  to  take  a  trip  to  the  Tyrol,  and  try 
his  hand  at  the  splendid  and  exciting  sport  of  hunting  the 
chamois  among  the  Alps.  He  gave  me  a  slight  idea  of  the 
nature  of  the  scenery  and  the  perilous  character  of  the 
hunt,  and  this  caused  me  to  be  extremely  anxious  to 
match  myself  against  the  Tyrolese  in  their  own  land  of  clifi 
and  crag. 

Two  days  were  occupied  in  preparation.  We  designed 
to  take  with  us,  however,  as  small  a  quantity  of  baggage 
as  we  thought  would  suffice  for  stern  necessities.  On  a 
bright  morning,  we  took  our  equipment  of  rifles,  ammunition 
and  clothes,  and,  bidding  the  old  servants  of  the  mansion 
adieu,  started  in  the  mail  coach  for  London.  The  incidents 
of  this  rapid  journey  to  the  Tryol  are  not  worth  a  record. 
We  passed  through  grand  and  beautiful  scenery  in  France 
and  Switzerland,  but  had  no  time  to  make  any  special  ob- 


INHABITANTS  OF  THE  TYROL.          263 

nervations.  After  several  days  of  travelling  by  steamboat, 
railroad,  and  stage,  we  reached  a  village  called  Dumpfen, 
in  the  Tyrol.  Here,  in  the  midst  of  mountain  scenery  of 
the  most  stupendous  description,  we  resolved  to  halt. 

The  village  was  nestled  cosily  under  the  grand  belt  of 
pines  which  feathered  the  flanks  of  the  mountains  which 
rose  high  and  clear  behind.  In  front,  roared,  rattled, 
and  groaned  a  wide  glacier  torrent,  the  color  of  ill-made 
gruel ;  and  on  the  opposite  of  the  river  stretched,  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile,  a  flat  plain  of  gravel  and  worn  boulders, 
here  and  there  gemmed  with  patches  of  short,  sweet  turf, 
till  it  reached  the  base  of  a  noble  range  of  clifis,  which 
rose  gray  and  steep  into  the  clear  blue  sky,  so  lofty,  that 
the  fringe  of  old  pines  along  their  summits  could  scarcely 
be  distinguished.  I  was  greatly  pleased  with  the  appear- 
ance and  manners  of  the  villagers.  The  men  were  gene- 
rally tall,  finely  propornoned,  and  evidently  almost  as 
strong  as  lions,  and  as  agile  as  cats.  Their  costume  was 
very  picturesque, — but  it  is  too  well  known  to  need  any 
description  here.  They  were  firm  and  proud  in  their 
bearing,  the  very  personifications  of  independence ;  but 
courteous  and  hospitable.  The  women  were  the  perfection 
of  mountain  belles,  having  generally  dark  brown  glossy 
hair,  clear,  blooming  complexion,  and  speaking  hazel  eyes. 
In  manners  they  were  even  more  courteous  and  sociable 
than  the  men.  Mr.  Barrill  informed  the  villagers  who  we 


264          EXPEDITION  TO  THE  TYROL. 

were,  and  what  our  purpose  was  they  appeared  even  grati- 
fied to  have  us  among  them,  and  there  was  quite  a  squabble 
as  to  our  accommodation  during  our  stay.  At  length,  how- 
ever, Karl  Spiegle,  the  king-hunter  of  the  village,  who 
had  the  largest  house,  secured  our  company.  That  evening, 
we  ate  a  Tyrolese  supper  of  hard-boiled  eggs  and  harder 
baked  rye  bread. 

The  next  day  was  the  Sabbath.  We  found  that  the 
Tyrolese  celebrate  that  day  by  eating,  drinking  and  laugh- 
ing as  much  as  possible.  In  the  afternoon,  the  men  had 
a  trial  of  skill  in  shooting  at  a  target.  Such  rifles  !  I 
thought  my  own  was  about  as  heavy  a  shooting-iron  as  an 
active  hunter  would  wish  to  carry  during  a  day's  hunt ; 
but  the  short,  thick  rifles  of  the  Tyrolese  were  of  nearly 
double  the  weight.  As  they  were  about  to  crown  the 
victor,  Karl  Spiegle,  with  flowers,  I  requested  to  try  my 
skill  against  him  ;  and  in  three  shots,  at  a  greater  distance 
than  his  rifle  would  carry,  I  established  my  superiority. 
My  shooting-iron  was  then  considered  a  remarkable  piece 
of  ordnance ;  for  it  was  deemed  by  the  villagers  impossible 
that  their  most  skilful  hunter  should  oe  a  worse  snot  than 
a  stranger  among  the  Alps.  Karl  himself  laughed  at  the 
idea  of  my  being  the  real  victor ;  but  cheerfully  gave  me 
the  crown  of  flowers. 

As  we  were  sitting  in  Spiegle's  door,  looking  at  a  merry 
group  in  front  of  the  house,  two  herd-boys  came  in  from 


EXPEDITION  TO  THE  TYROL.          266 

higher  mountain  pastures.  They  immediately  came  up  to 
Spiegle,  and  informed  him  that  they  had  seen  three  chamois 
that  morning.  Mr.  Barrill  then  bribed  the  boys  to  keep 
the  secret  until  noon  the  next  day,  and  made  arrangements 
with  our  host  to  start  up  the  mountain  on  a  hunt,  at  day- 
light, the  next  morning.  Spiegle  hummed  and  hawed  a 
great  deal  at  the  idea  of  three  hunters  going  in  company, 
inasmuch  as  chamois  hunting  required  the  utmost  quiet 
and  caution.  However,  when  we  promised  to  comply  pre- 
cisely with  his  directions  and  to  compensate  him  for  any 
loss  he  might  sustain,  he  agreed  to  our  arrangements. 

The  next  morning,  I  was  up  while  it  was  yet  dark. 
After  dressing  myself,  I  gave  Mr.  Barrill  a  waking  nudge, 
and  hurried  out  to  perform  my  ablutions  in  the  cold  and 
sparkling  stream.  The  dawn  was  very  beautiful.  The  pine 
woods  were  wrapt  in  the  richest  purple.  Here  and  there, 
a  feint  illumined  mist  marked  the  course  of  a  mountain 
brook  through  the  forest.  The  gray  cliffs  stood  dark  and 
silent  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream,  and  one  distant 
snow-peak,  just  tinted  with  the  purple  of  dawn,  gleamed 
sublimely,  as  a  pinnacle  of  the  clouds.  Within  a  half  an 
hour,  we  were  equipped.  Spiegle  carried  his  short,  heavy 
rifle,  but  we  were  determined  to  try  our  skill  with  our 
own  guns.  Our  shoes  were  shod  with  iron  in  such  a 
manner  that  each  step  upon  snow  or  ice  was  well  secured 
and  besides,  each  of  us  carried  a  staff,  armed  with  a  short 

23 


266          EXPEDITION  TO  THE  TYROL. 

spike.  Spiegle  had  a  wallet,  containing  some  provisions, 
strapped  on  his  back.  Starting  up  the  mountain,  we  fol- 
lowed Spiegle  through  the  gloomy  pine  forest,  until  we 
were  far  above  the  valley,  when,  from  a  projecting  cliff,  we 
obtained  a  magnificent  view  of  the  varied  and  romantic 
country  at  our  feet.  While  we  were  resting  at  this  point, 
the  dazzling  sun  arose,  and,  as  we  resumed  our  jour- 
ney, we  found  the  pine  forest  flickered  with  gleams  of 
yellow  morning  light,  and  glittering  with  gems  of  dew. 
We  crossed  the  sparkling  brooks  and  masses  of  rock,  ankle 
deep,  in  rich  brown  moss,  and  bejewelled  with  red  and 
purple  berries;  then  passed  through  tangled  heaps  of 
fallen  pine,  that  had  been  leveled  by  the  terrible  ava- 
lanche, and  climbed  over  a  fir  fence  into  a  little  mountain 
meadow, "where  an  old  herdsman  was  milking  the  cows. 
There  we  breakfasted  upon  the  contents  of  Spiegle's 
wallet,  and  then,  considerably  refreshed,  resumed  our 
journey. 

The  pine  forest  now  gradually  became  more  open  and 
the  trees  stunted  and  fantastic.  Then  we  left  the  trees 
behind  us  altogether.  Nothing  but  wild,  chaotic  masses 
of  gravel  and  stones,  tossed  and  heaped,  one  on  the 
ether,  by  the  merciless  avalanche,  and  patches  of  emerald 
moss  appeared.  Then  the  traces  of  vegetation  ceased. 
Our  path  ran,  steep  and  rugged,  aloijg  the  edge  of  a  ravine, 
at  the  bottom  of  which  a  torrent  chafed  and  roared.  Just 


EXPEDITION  TO  THE  TYEOL.          267 

as  we  were  turning  an  abrupt  angle  very  carefully,  we 
suddenly  heard  a  rushing  sound,  and  a  shadow  passed 
before  the  sun.  Glancing  upwards,  I  saw  not  a  hundred 
paces  from  me  an  enormous  vulture,  with  the  fiercest  of 
eyes  and  the  most  terrible  of  talons.  With  a  few  flaps  of 
its  broad  wings  it  soared  away,  and  a  neighboring  peak 
soon  hid  it  from  our  sight.  These  great  birds  are  much 
dreaded  by  the  herdsmen,  and  strange  tales  are  told  of 
their  daring  attacks. 

Beaching  the  end  of  the  slippery  pass,  we  found  our- 
selves in  a  wild  valley,  entirely  shut  in  by  ranges  of  lofty 
cliffs,  with  here  and  there  patches  of  snow.  Far  above 
us,  in  front,  towered  the  summit  of  the  Wildgrad  Kogle, 
ending  in  a  sharp  peak.  The  floor  of  the  valley  was  strewn 
with  masses  of  rock,  which  seemed  to  have  be£n  hurled 
from  the  surrounding  cliffs.  We  advanced  stealthy,  con- 
cealing ourselves  behind  the  boulders,  and  searched  valley 
and  cliff"  for  our  prey.  Spiegle  had  a  rude  telescope 
which  he  used  a  great  deal,  but  to  no  purpose.  Our  only 
chance  now^was  that  the  chamois  might  be  feeding  in 
some  of  the  smaller  valleys,  between  the  cliffs  and  the 
Kogle  itself.  I  could  not  see  what  these  animals  found 
for  food  in  this  sterile  region.  But  at  the  head  of  the 
valley,  Spiegle  showed  us  the  plant  on  which  these  ex- 
traordinary animals  live.  It  had  a  thick  green  tribolate 
leaf,  and  a  flower  so  delicate  and  gauze-like,  that  I  won- 


268          EXPEDITION  TO  THE  TYROL. 

dered  how  it  could  bear  the  storms  of  the  mountain  height. 
Its  petals  had  a  curious  crumpled  appearance,  and  their 
soft,  pink  hue  was  almost  transparent.  Spiegle  called 
the  plant  the  "  Gemsenkraut,"  or  chamois  herb. 

Pushing  on  to  the  upper  end  of  the  valley,  we  found 
that  the  cliffs  and  screes — sharp,  slaty,  angular  piles  of 
stone  —  looked  uglier  and  steeper  the  nearer  we  ap- 
proached. After  crossing — still  ascending — several  beds 
of  screes,  we  came  to  the  edge  of  the  first  snowfield 
one  steep  sheet  of  white  ice,  with  a  fall  of  some  hundred 
feet  at  its  lower  edge.  Here  Spiegle,  to  our  joy,  "  not 
loud  but  deep,"  discovered  the  fresh  hoof-prints  of  the 
chamois,  and  in  the  excitement,  of  the  moment,  we 
forgot  the  danger  of  the  snow-field.  We  got  along 
steadily,  with  many  slips,  but  no  slides,  always  sticking 
our  staves  in  the  frozen  snow,  the  moment  we  felt  our 
heels  slipping  down.  At  length  we  grasped  the  rough 
rock  which  bounded  the  further  side  of  the  field,  and,  for 
the  moment,  our  anxiety  was  relieved. 

On  the  summit  of  the  ridge,  we  were  able  to  crouch  and 
look  through  a  crack  in  the  rock,  into  the  next  valley. 
But  alas  !  for  hunter  hopes,  no  sign  of  a  living  thing  ap- 
peared among  the  barreness  and  desolation.  Our  chance 
of  chamois  was  completely  annihilated  for  the  day.  The 
descent  into  the  valley  was  attended  with  innumerable 
perils,  and  may  be  characterized  as  a  succession  of  slides 


EXPEDITION  TO  THE  TYROL.  269 

and  jumps.  On  reaching  the  bottom,  we  found  that,  aa 
usual,  the  snow  had  melted  some  distance  from  the  rock, 
leaving  a  deep  crevasse.  But  a  tremendous  jump,  and  a 
succession  of  tumbles  and  slides  brought  us  up  standing, 
about  fifty  yards  beyond  the  awful  abyss. 

We  toiled  up  the  steep  snow-paths  merrily  enough,  and 
then  reached  the  base  of  the  rock  forming  the  summit  of 
the  mountain.  Spiegle  gave  us  no  time  to  halt.  He 
pressed  forward,  and  we  were  too  ambitious  not  to  follow 
as  rapidly  as  we  could.  We  climbed  up  the  last  sixty  or 
seventy  feet  of  cliff,  and  then  stood  upon  the  small  plat- 
form, upon  the  summit  of  the  Wildgrad  Kogle.  No  de- 
scription can  convey  an  idea  of  the  grand  view  from  this 
lofty  peak.  On  all  sides  we  saw  peak  on  peak,  ridge  on 
ridge,  but  no  valley,  however  near,  could  be  discerned. 
We  stood  in  a  world  of  rock  and  ice,  far  above  even  the 
haunts  of  the  chamois  and  vulture — farther  from  the  cares 
and  vexations  of  human  life,  and  nearer  to  the  eternal 
s,ky  than  I  had  ever  been  before.  A  feeling  of  awe 
crept  over  me,  such  as  only  a  scene  of  terrible  sublimity 
could  excite — and,  for  many  moments,  I  could  do  nothing 
but  gaze. 

In  the  meantime,  however,  Karl  Spiegle  had  produced 
some  eatables  from  his  wallet,  and  he  now  called  our  at- 
tention to  honoring  his  provision.  Cold  mutton  and 

extremely  hard  bread  ;  and  yet  how  delicious  they  tasted 

23* 


270  EXPEDITION  TO  THE  TYROL. 

after  our  tremendous  exercise.  As  we  sat  upon  the  snow, 
eating  and  gazing,  a  dark,  grey  veil  was  gradually  drawn 
over  tlie  whole  of  the  sublime  picture,  and  snow  flakes, 
began  to  fall.  Karl  immediately  declared  that  we  would 
have  to  descend  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  seek  shelter 
for  the  night.  Scrambling  hastily  down  the  way  we  came,, 
and  leaning  well  back  on  our  staves,  with  our  feet 
stretched  out  before  us,  we  shot  down  the  long  sheet  of 
snow,  at  a  considerably  quicker  rate  than  we  had  ascended, 
and  reached  the  stony  ravine  at  the  foot  of  the  summit. 
Mr.  Barrill  said  he  was  determined  to  draw  blood  before 
the  day  was  at  an  end.  We  soon  heard  the  shrill  signal 
whistle  of  the  little  marmot,  and,  for  want  of  better  game, 
he  resolved  to  bag  one  of  those  sprightly  little  animals. 
Creeping  to  the  top  of  a  neighboring  ridge,  we  peeped 
cautiously  over  into  a  little  valley  floored  with  a  confused 
mass  of  mossy  stones  and  straggling  Alpine  roses.  Here 
several  of  the,  quaint  little  animals  were  frisking  about. 
Each  of  us  tumbled  one  over  by  a  quick  shot,  the  echoes 
of  which  sounded  among  the  mountains,  like  voices  of  un- 
earthly beings,  disturbed  by  the  reports.  Having  bagged 
these  animals,  we  hurried  on.  It  was  growing  very  dark, 
and  the  driving  snow  almost  took  away  our  sight.  Fol- 
lowing the  course  of  a  torrent,  Karl,  after  a  great  deal 
of  trouble,  found  a  well-known  sennhutt,  where  we  were 
to  rest  for  the  night. 


EXPEDITION  TO  THE  TYROL.  1271 

The  hut  was  partitioned;  one  portion  being  nearly 
filled  with  hay,  and  the  other  left  vacant.  It  was  a  mi- 
serable shelter:  but  we  had  no  choice,  and  Karl  pro- 
ceeded to  make  every  arrangement  he  could  for  our  .com- 
fort. A  blazing  fire  was  kindled  on  the  floor  of  earth ; 
and  searching  round,  Karl  found  a  shallow  wooden  pail, 
holding  about  two  gallons  of  sour  milk,  left  by  the  kind 
hayman,  a  fortnight  before,  for  the  use  of  any  benighted 
hunter.  We  made  a  hearty  meal ;  and  then,  as  the  storm 
whistled  and  howled  around  our  frail  tenement,  Mr. 
Barrill  and  I  sought  the  couch  of  hay,  and  endeavored 
to  render  ourselves  as  comfortable  as  circumstances  would 
permit.  Karl  remained  awake  about  half  an  hour  longer, 
fixing  the  fire  and  taking  an  additional  bit  of  marmot.  I 
did  not  hear  him  take  his  place  among  the  hay,  for  sleep 
had  shut  my  senses  against  all  the  world. 

When  I  awoke  about  dawn,  I  felt  somewhat  stiff  and 
chilly.  Karl  was  already  up,  and  he  had  kindled  a  fire.  I 
aroused  Mr.  Barrill,  and  we  then  ri5ade  as  good  a  breakfast 
as  we  could  from  our  scanty  stock  of  provisions,  warmed 
ourselves  thoroughly,  and,  as  day  began  to  dawn,  left  the 
cabin.  Our  route  now  ran  to  the  left  of  the  Wildgrad 
Kogle.  The  scene  was  for  sometime  a  repetition  of  tha£ 
<?f  the  day  before,  but  the  cliffs  were  more  precipitous 
and  the  ravines  narrower  and  more  difficult  to  traverse. 
During  the  first  hour's  progress,  among  the  huge  boulders, 


272          EXPEDITION  TO  THE  TYROL. 

we  got  many  a  tumble ;  but  before  sunrise,  we  had  left 
all  vegetation  far  behind  us  again,  and  were  far  away 
among  the  crags  and  snow.  As  we  ascended,  we  saw  a 
valley  on  the  left,  filled  with  a  dense  mist,  which,  as  soon 
as  the  sun  began  to  tinge  the  highest  peaks,  rose  in 
wreathing  columns,  and  shut  from  our  view  every  thing 
in  our  immediate  vicinity.  This  was  advantageous  ;  for 
although  it  prevented  our  seeing,  it  at  the  same  time  pre- 
sented our  being  seen  from  the  cliffs  before  we  reached 
our  best  ground.  We  advanced  steadily,  crossing  vast 
beds  of  snow,  and  occasionally  the  roots  of  a  glacier,  till 
we  arrived  at  a  point,  where  Karl  expected  to  fall  in  with 
a  chamois^  when  we  came  to  a  halt,  and,  sheltered  behind 
a  mass  of  rock,  awaited  the  disappearance  of  the  mist. 

At  length,  the  sun  smiled  away  the  rising  grey  clouds, 
as  a  great  man  would  awe  his  enemies  into  submission  by 
his  steady  glance.  We  then  saw  that  we  were  in  a  region 
of  snow-fields,  filling  up  broad  valleys  lying  shadowless 
in  the  bright  sunshine,  ^Eere  and  there  blue  lines  marked 
the  crevices  in  the  ice,  and  dark  ridges,  standing  sharply 
up  from  the  plain  of  snow,  marked  the  course  of  buried 
mountains.  We  were  advancing  along  the  base  of  the 
lowest  tier  of  cliffs,  when  Spiegle  suddenly  threw  him- 
self prostrate  behind  a  stone,  and,  guessing  the  cause, 
we  followed  his  example.  The  Tyrolese  appeared  under 
the  influence  of  the  keenest  excitement.  Following  hia 


OUR  FIRST  CHAMOIS  HUNT.  273 

line  of  sight,  I  glanced  upward,  and  far  away,  on  a  cliff, 
saw  a  feeding  chamois.  After  gazing  at  the  fearless 
animal,  with  the  keenest  interest,  for  some  moments,  we 
drew  back  and  held  a  council  of  war  to  deliberate  upon 
the  plan  of  attack.  It  was  evidently  impossible  to  ap- 
proach him  from  where  we  were.  We  could  not  have 
moved  five  steps  towards  him  without  being  discovered. 
Our  success  depended  upon  getting  above  him,  and  cut- 
ting him  off  from  the  higher  ranges.  Crawling  back- 
wards, we  managed  to  place  a  low  range  of  rocks  between 
ourselves  and  the  cliffs,  and  then,  making  a  wide  sweep, 
we  reached  their  base  at  some  distance  from  where  the 
chamois  was  feeding,  in  fancied  security.  After  ex- 
amining the  precipice  for  some  time,  Spiegle  concluded 
that  the  only  mode  of  access  to  its  summit,  which  was 
at  least  four  hundred  feet  above  us,  was  by  a  sort,,  of 
ravine,  the  broken  edges  of  which  would  give  us  some 
foot  and  hand  hold.  At  its  upper  end,  we  could  see  part 
of  a  glacier,  from  which  a  small  stream  leaped  from  ledge 
to  ledge.  Up  we  went,  dragging  ourselves,  and  each 
other,  up  the  wet  and  slippery  rocks,  getting  a  dash  of 
icy  water  in  our  faces  now  and  then,  and  at  length 
reached  the  top  of  the  precipice. 

But  the  top  was  scarcely  a  more  desirable  promenade 
than  the  ascent.  If  we  slipped  off  a  rock,  we  fell  waist 
deep  into  soft  snow-drifts,  and  when  we  tumbled  on  the 


274  OUR  FIRST  CHAMOIS  HUNT. 

snow,  there  was  always  an  inexorable  rock  to  give  us  a 
thump.  However,  we  were  now  fairly  above  the  chamois, 
and  excitement  sustained  us  in  the  toil  and  difficulty  of 
our  progress.  At  length,  we  reached  the  cliff  whicl) 
Spiegle  had  fixed  upon,  as  above  our  prey.  Here  we 
found  it  impossible  to  get  near  enough  to  the  edge  to  look 
over,  as  the  fresh-fallen  snow  threatened  to  part  com- 
pany with  the  rock.  Crouching  down  in  the  snow,  we 
listened*for  some  hint  of  the  chamois*  whereabouts,  and 
had  not  waited  more  than  a  minute,  when  the  faint 
clatter  of  a  stone,  far  below,  convinced  us  he  was  on  the 
move.  Creeping  along  to  where  the  crest  of  the  cliff 
afforded  us  a  little  shelter,  we  peeped  over,  and  saw  that 
the  chamois  was  standing  on  the  snow-bed,  half-way  up 
the  cliff.  Suddenly,  the  acute  senses  of  the  graceful 
animal  seemed  to  have  caught  the  taint  of  a  human  being. 
He  stood  with  his  head  high  in  the  air,  and  his  ears 
pointed  forward.  I  was  about  to  fire,  when,  bang !  close 
to  my  ear,  went  Spiegle's  heavy  rifle,  and  the  chamois 
bounded  away  over  the  bed  of  snow,  and  disappeared 
around  the  corner,  to  the  right,  before  either  *Mr.  Barrill 
or  myself  could  get  a  snap. 

Almost  mad  with  excitement,  we  clambered  over  the 
edge  of  the  cliff,  and,  by  jumping  and  sliding,  reached  the 
snow-bed  where  the  chamois  had  stood.  Not  a  drop  of 
blood  tinged  the  snow,  to  give  us  hope,  at  the  place  where 


OUR  FIRST   CHAMOIS   HUNT.  275 

the  animal  had  made  his  first  tremendous  bound.  But 
farther  on,  one  red  spot  showed  where  the  hot  liquid  of 
life  had  sunk  through  the  snow.  Without  thinking  of 
either  of  my  companions,  I  hastened  on  in  the  indented 
track  of  the  animal,  till  I  came  to  a  place  where  the  cliff 
receded  into  a  sort  of  small  bay,  with  a  patch  of  snow, 
separated  from  the  one  I  was  on  by  a  broken  ridge. 
Spurred  on  by  the  sound  of  following  footsteps,  I  scram- 
bled round  the  ridge,  and  there  beheld  the  wounded 
chamois  standing  about  sixty  yards  from  me,  ready  for  a 
bound  at  the  moment  he  could  ascertain  the  whereabouts 
of  his  foes.  I  raised  my  rifle,  and  with  a  hand  tremu- 
lous with  excitement,  took  aim,  first  at  the  neck,  just 
behind  the  ear,  and  then  at  the  rear  of  the  shoulder. 
Bang  !  And  as  the  wreathing  smoke  ascended,  I  saw  the 
chamois  shrink  convulsively,  and  then  fall  heavily  on  the 
snow,  shot  right  through  the  heart.  -My  friends  were 
now  at  my  side ;  but  I  dashed  away  from  them,  reached 
the  animal,  gave  one  sweep  of  my  knife  across  its  throat, 
and  the  work  was  complete. 

I  must  confess  that  we. rejoiced  over  the  body  of  that 
poor  chamois  with  a  little  extravagance.  "We  cheered, 
till  the  rocks  fairly  trembled  with  the  pelting  of  the 
echoes.  We  shook  hands,  like  brothers  in  triumph.  But 
let  me  cool  down  into  a  description  of  this  beautiful 
animal.  Its  height  was  about  two  feet  three  or  four 


276  OUR  FIRST   CHAMOIS  HUNT. 

inches.  Its  hair  was  short,  like  that  of  the  doe,  and  of 
an  ashy  color,  varying  to  a  blackish  brown.  The  horns 
arose  between  the  eyes,  bent  backwards,  terminating  in 
hooks,  and  were  of  a  glossy  black  hue.  The  eyes  were 
black,  and  full  of  expression.  Unlike  the  tame  goat,  it 
had  no  beard,  nor  even  a  short  tail.  Compared  with  the 
cimaron  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  I  would  say  that  it  is  a 
more  beautiful  and  spirited  animal.  I  no  longer  won- 
dered at  the  enthusiastic  love  of  the  Tyrolese  for  hunting 
the  chamois.  Its  rarity — the  amazing  acuteness  of  its 
senses — its  fleetness — and  the  stupendous  scenery  among 
which  it  finds  a  home,  are  all  circumstances  that  increase 
the  excitement  and  render  it  thrilling  sport.  A  hunter 
by  nature  cares  but  little  for  slaughtering  even  the 
largest  game.  His  luxury  is  in  triumphing  over  animals 
difficult  to  approach. 

We  now  thought  of  returning  But  the  thought  was 
many  times  easier  than  the  achievement.  On  all  sides  of 
us  tremendous  cliffs  appeared,  and  not  a  crack  or  crevice 
could  we  see.  Where  had  we  descended  ?  .Following 
our  tracks  in  the  snow,  they  led  us  to  the  foot  of  a  cliff, 
the  ascent  of  which  seemed  an  utter  impossibility.  But 
we  had  descended  by  that  path — there  could  be  no  doubt 
of  it.  It  was  no  easy  thing  to  get  at  the  cliff  at  all.  As 
usual,  there  was  a  gap  between  the  snow  and  the  rock. 
This  was  bad  enough  to  cross  from  above ;  but  to  jump 


OUR   FIRST   CHAMOIS   HUNT.  277 

from  the  sloping  snow  against  the  face  of  the  rock  was 
ten  times  more  perilous.  However,  we  found  that  the 
task  was  to  be  accomplished.  Karl  took  the  labor  of 
carrying  the  chamois  upon  himself,  although  he  frankly 
acknowledged  that  it  was  the  prize  of  my  rifle.  But  he 
dropped  it  for  the  time.  He  then  uncoiled  a  rope  from 
his  belt,  and  giving  us  hold  of  the  end,  sprang  across  the 
chasm,  alighting  on  a  narrow  ledge,  with  his  nose  almost 
touching  the  rock;  then,  having  steadied  himself,  he 
turned  around,  and  seated  himself,  with  his  legs  dang- 
ling over  the  chasm.  Now  came  Mr.  Ban-ill's  turn.  He 
said  that  he  could  see  no  ledge,  but  was  determined  to 
jump ;  so  he  adjusted  the  rope  to  his  belt,  and  sprang 
across,  almost  into  Karl's  arms.  I  watched  his  progress 
with  intense  interest.  He  swayed  for  a  moment  or  two 
over  the  chasm,  and  then,  climbing  on  Spiegle's  shoulders, 
managed  to  draw  himself  up  to  a  ledge,  a  few  feet  higher. 
Turning  round  was  a  critical  performance,  but  it  was  at 
length  effected,  and  my  friend  set  his  back  firmly  against 
the  rock.  Now  came  my  turn.  By  Karl's  direction,  I 
tied  the  chamois  to  the  end  of  the  line,  which  he  threw 
ine,  and  then  sprang  into  his  arms,  leaving  the  animal  to 
be  hauled  up  afterwards.  For  a  moment,  I  doubted  my 
ability  to  hold  on  without  pulling  the  Tyrolese  into  the 
gap.  But  he  had  muscles  of  iron,  and  I  soon  stood  safely 

beside  him  on  the  ledge.     The  whole  line  was  now  un- 

24 


278  OUR   FIRST   CHAMOIS   HUNT. 

coiled,  and  the  end  was  thrown  up  to  Mr.  Barrill.  Karl 
now  stood  up,  turned  his  face  to  the  rock,  climbed  up  to 
Mr.  Barrill's  position,  then  placed  one  foot  upon  my 
friend's  thigh  and  the  other  on  his  shoulder,  and  thus 
climhed  over  him  to  a  still  higher  ledge.  My  turn  came 
next.  Mr.  Barrill  threw  the  line  up  to  Karl,  and  he 
immediately  hauled  up  the  chamois.  In  this  way  we 
climbed  up  a  steep  cliff,  at  least  one  hundred  feet  in 
height.  It  was,  emphatically,  awful  work.  Mr.  Barrill 
suffered  from  an  attack  of  giddiness,  as  he  dared  to 
glance  into  the  tremendous  chasm  below;  but  he  re- 
covered ;  and  by  a  straining  effort,  Karl  drew  him  up  to 
the  top  of  the  cliff.  I  was  the  last  to  reach  that  point, 
and  when  I  did  so,  I  sank,  exhausted,  upon  the  snow 
But  we  were  all  safe — the  chamois  included. 

As  soon  as  we  had  recovered  a  little,  we  stumbled  back 
among  the  sloppy  snow,  and  the  half-concealed  rocks,  till 
we  reached  the  ravine  up  which  we  had  scrambled  in  the 
morning.  But  we  decided  to  return  by  the  way  of  the 
glacier  and  the  ice  stream  which  we  had  also  passed  in 
the  morning,  and  on  reaching  the  crystal  stream  we 
revelled  in  long  draughts  of  cold  clean  water.  Our  labor 
was  now  nearly  finished.  We  quickly  travered  two  or 
three  small  snow-fields,  and  after  a  little  trouble  in 
hauling  ourselves,  and  the  chamois,  up  and  down  the 
ridge  that  separated  them,  we  reached  a  smooth  declivity 


O.UR  FIRST  CHAMOIS  HUNT.  279 

of  snow,  down  which  we  shot  merrily,  getting  many  a 
roll,  it  is  true,  but  merely  laughing  thereat,  as  every 
tumble  carried  us  the  faster  towards  home,  and  at  last, 
safe  and  sound,  reached  the  region  of  rocks  and  gravel. 
As  night  closed  in,  we  "found  ourselves  once  more  in  the 
little  cabin,  where  we  had  passed  the  night  before.  A  scanty 
supper  was  dispatched  with  hungry  quickness,  and  then 
we  stretched  ourselves  in  the  hay  for  a  refreshing  sleep. 

When  we  awoke  in  the  morning,  the  sun  was  up.  Oh  ! 
what  complaints  of  aching  from  head  to  foot.  Karl  suf- 
fered as  much  as  either  of  us.  The  skin  of  our  faces  was 
peeling  off,  as  if  we  had  been  washing  them  in  oil  of 
vitriol.  However,  a  complete  warming,  and  long-con- 
tinued rubbing  put  us  in  walking  trim,  and  we  descended 
the  mountain,  gradually  leaving  the  region  of  winter  for 
that  of  spring.  It- was  still  early  when  we  reached  the 
bright  meadows,  the  green  of  which  was  exceedingly  re- 
freshing to  the  eye.  Early  in  the  afternoon  we  reached 
Dumpfen. 

The  villagers  had  been  greatly  troubled  about  our  sud- 
den disappearance  until  noon  on  the  day  we  had  started, 
and  then  one  of  the  herd-boys  informed  them  where  we  had 
gone1.  We  were  cheered,  and  complimented,  and  crowned 
with  flowers,  for  even  among  these  people,  ever  so  accus- 
tomed to  hunting  among  the  mountains,  killing  a  chamois 
is  at  all  times  esteemed  a  great  exploit. 


280  ADVENTURES  OF  CHAMOIS  HUNTERS. 

That  evening  we  were  feasted  as  far  as  Tyrolese  hos- 
pitality could  go.  Several  hunters  came  to  spend  a 
short  time  with  us,  and  chat  about  their  adventures.  In 
return  for  what  Mr.  Barrill  communicated  of  our  hunting 
experience,  they  told  us  of  a  number  of  "hair  breadth 
'scapes."  A  young  and  handsome  hunter,  who  was  called 
Joseph,  told  a  singular  story  of  the  cunning  of  the  chamois. 

The  previous  year,  Joseph  had  found  a  geis,  or  female 
chamois,  ready  to  bring  forth.  For  eight  days,  he  followed 
her  to  see  where  she  would  deposit  her  young.  Some- 
times he  took  off  his  shoes,  and  climbed  with  his  bare  feet, 
like  a  cat ;  and  once,  when  he  had  to  climb  up  the  steep 
face  of  a  rock,  he  cut  off  all  the  buttons  from  his  clothes, 
that  they  might  not  make  a  jingle.  At  length,  he  dis- 
covered two  young  chamois  in  what  the  hunters  call  a 
kath,  or  niche,  in  the  high  rock.  The  little  ones  were 
sporting  round  the  mother,  who  glanced  from  time  to  time 
down  into  the  valley,  to  watch  for  any  hostile  approach. 
To  avoid  being  seen,  Joseph  made  an  extensive  circuit, 
and  thus  reached  the  path  that  led  to  the  kath.  Exactly 
in  front  of  the  niche,  the  rock  descended  perpendicularly 
to  an  immense  depth.  In  the  rear  was  another  deep  de- 
scent. Some  fragments  of  rock  formed  a  kind  of  bridge 
between  the  large  masses.  But  these  were  placed  too 
high  to  be  accessible  to  the  little  ones,  and  could  only  be 
available  to  their  mother. 


ADVENTURES  OF  CHAMOIS  HUNTERS.  281 

Joseph  gazed  upon  the  position  with  a  feeling  of  joy, 
and  pressed  upon  the  animals  whose  escape  seemed  im- 
possible. As  soon  as  the  mother  caught  sight  of  him,  she 
Baw  at  a  glance  the  unfavorable  disposition  of  the  rock, 
and  sprung  upon  the  hunter  with  fearful  fury.  In  such 
attacks,  the  thrust  is  not  very  violent,  but  there  is  great 
danger  of  the  animal  hooking  the  legs  of  the  hunter,  and 
tumbling  him  down  the  precipice.  Joseph  was  in  no  con- 
dition to  fire  at  the  approaching  chamois,  as  both  hands 
were  necessary  to  sustain  him  on  the  narrow  path.  He 
therefore  warded  off  the  blows  as  well  as  he  could  with  his 
feet,  and  still  advanced.  The  anguish  and  fury  of  the 
mother  increased.  She  dashed  back  to  her  young,  coursed 
round  them'  with  low  cries,  as  if  to  warn  them  of  their 
danger,  and  then  leaped  up  the  fragment  of  rock,  the 
second  mode  of  egress  from  the  riiche.  She  then  leaped 
down  to  her  little  ones,  and  seemed  to  encourage  them 
to  attempt  the  leap.  The  little  creatures  sprang  and 
wounded  their  forehead  against  the  rocks  that  were  to 
high  for  them,  and  vain  were  the  bold  leaps  of  the  mother 
to  show  them  the  way.  All  this  was  the  work  o£  a  few 
minutes,  while  the  hunter  had  advanced  a  few  steps  nearer 
to  his  prey.  He  smiled  in  his  fancied  triumph.  But  he 
had  not  yet  won.  The  chamois  mother,  fixing  her  hind 
legs  firmly  on  the  rock  behind,  stretched  her  body  to  its 
utmost  length,  and  planted  her  fore  feet  on  the  rock  above, 

24* 


282       ADVENTURES  OF  CHAMOIS  HUNTERS 

thus  forming  a  bridge  of  her  back.  The  young  ones,  in- 
stantly seeing  the  design  of  their  affectionate  parent, 
sprang  upon  her  back,  and  thus  reached  the  point  of  safety. 
Joseph  made  a  last  step  and  leaped  into  the  niche ;  but 
all  three  animals  were  off  with  the  speed  of  the  wind,  and 
the  shots  he  fired,  merely  struck  the  rocks,  and  died  away 
in  harmless  echoes.  The  devotion  and  cunning  of  the  brute 
mother  had  triumphed  over  the  hunter's  skill. 

This  narrative  excited  our  wonder  ;  and  our  interest  in 
the  beautiful  and  intelligent  chamois  increased  ten-fold. 
But  the  Tyroleans  never  assemble  for  story-telling  with- 
out in  some  way  introducing  their  celebrated  hero — the  Tell 
of  the  Tyrol — Andrew  Hofer.  Mr.  Barrill  had  read  much 
about  this  great  patriot,  and  was  deeply  interested  in 
every  thing  relating  to  his  life ;  and  the  hunters  displayed 
a  singular  eagerness  to  communicate  whatever  they  knew 
of  him.  From  them  we  learned,  that  Hofer  was  a  man 
gifted  with  a  commanding  presence,  a  brave  and  indomi- 
table heart — stirring  eloquence,  and  winning  manners. 
His  attachment  to  the  superstitions  of  the  Catholic  Church,, 
and,  occasionally,  to  the  bottle,  only  rendered  him  the  dearer 
to  a  people  who  were  all  superstitious,  and  generally  fond 
of  wine.  Karl  Spiegle,  whose  father  had  served  under 
the  famous  patriot,  related  that  Hofer  at  times  led  the 
peasants  to  victory,  with  a  rosary  and  crucifix  on  his 
breast^  a  sabre  in  one  hand,  and  a  bottle  of  wine  in  the 


ADVENTURES  OF  CHAMOIS  HUNTERS.  283 

other.  When  the  rising  against  the  French  and  Bava- 
rians was  first  commenced,  remarkable  signals  were 
adopted.  Sawdust  was  thrown  on  the  rivers  Inn  and 
Eisach,  fires  were  kindled  on  the  tops  of  mountains,  and 
women  and  chidren  ran  from  rock  to  rock,  and  from 
cottage  to  cottage,  shouting  "  It  is  time."  Victory  after 
victory  was  achieved  by  the  peasant  army,  under  the  gal- 
lant inn-keeper,  Hofer.  But  the  Austrians  withheld  their 
support,  and,  ultimately,  numbers  triumphed.  Hofer,  after 
wandering,  like  a  hunted  wild  beast,  among  the  rocks  of 
his  native  land,  was  betrayed  into  the  hands  of  the  French, 
and,  ignominiously,  executed.  The  hunters  were  delighted 
to  find  that  we  sympathised  with  Hofer  and  his  cause, 
and  we  ascertained  that  we  had  risen  greatly  in  their 
esteem  in  consequence.  Of  the  whole  party,  Karl  Spiegle 
was  the  only  hunter  who  had  travelled  beyond  the  boun- 
daries of  the  Tyrol.  He  had  passed  some  months  in 
Lithuania,  formerly  a  part  of  Poland,  now  a  province  on 
the  western  borders  of  the  Russian  empire.  He  informed 
us  that  he  had  witnessed  some  great  sport  in  that  country, 
and  we  listened  to  his  narrative  with  a  great  deal  of 
interest. 

"Lithuania,"  said  Spiegle,"  is  still  partially  covered 
with  forests.  One  of  these  which  is  called  the  Grand 
Forest,  is  no  less  than  twenty-five  miles  in  extent  each 
Way.  It  abounds  in  wild  animals,  particularly  wolves  and 


284  ADVENTURES  OF  CHAMOIS  HUNTERS. 

bears.  The  cattle  belonging  to  the  peasantry  suffers  much 
from  these  animals,  and,  consequently,  it  becomes  ne- 
cessary, at  certain  seasons  to  hunt,  them,  with  a  view 
of  keeping  down  their  numbers.  A  wolf-hunt  usually 
takes  place  on  Sunday,  as,  on  no  other  day,  could  the 
regular  hunters  get  together  a  sufficient  body  of  the 
peasantry.  One  Saturday  evening,  during  my  visit,  a  pack 
of  wolves,  which  had  been  extremely  destructive  among 
the  cattle  a  few  weeks  before,  was  reported  to  have  taken 
up  a  position  in  the  centre  of  the  Grand  Forest.  A 
party  of  hunters  was  immediately  ordered,  to  proceed  to 
the  forest  for  the  purpose  of  calling  the  wolves — a  duty 
which  consists  in  keeping  up  a  howling,  the  men  thus 
ascertaining  the  exact  place  where  the  animals  are  prowling, 
and  also  the  covert,  in  which  they  station  themselves  at 
the  approach  of  morn.  When  the  wolves  on  this  occasion 
had  taken  to  their  covert,  the  hunters  returned  and 
made  their  report.  Notice  was  immediately  give  to  the 
peasants  of  the  neighborhood,  to  equip  themselves  and 
assemble  at  the  church. 

As  soon  as  mass  was  ended,  eighty  men,  with  guns, 
and  one  hundred  and  fifty  beaters,  announced  themselves 
as  ready  to  attend  the  hunt.  I  was  one  of  the  armed  men. 
After  travelling  six  or  seven  miles,  the  party  arrived  at  the 
centre  of  the  Grand  Forest,  where  a  number  of  the  under 
chasseurs  were  in  waiting.  No  extraordinary  adventure 


ADVENTURES  OF  CHAMOIS  HUNTERS.  285 

marked  this  hunt,  but  the  manner  of  it  was  remarkable. 
At  the  distance  of  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  around  the 
covert  of  the  wolves,  a  circle  was  formed  by  the  party,  the 
hunters  and  other  armed  persons  filling  about  one  half  of 
this  circle,  each  man  being  about  thirty  yards  distant 
from  another.  The  other  half  of  the  circle  was  formed 
by  the  numerous  party  of  beaters,  whose  duty  it  is  in  the 
first  place  to  advance  slowly,  beating  the  bushes,  as  they 
move,  for  the  purpose  of  driving  any  straggling  wolves  into 
the  centre.  In  the  middle  of  the  beaters,  the  head-hunter 
took  his  station.  All  the  persons  engaged  were  on  foot. 
When  the  army  of  hunters  was  formed,  the  head-hunter 
blew  his  horn  as  a  signal.  The  beaters  then  advanced  in 
a  close  phalanx,  which  grew  still  closer,  as  they  approached 
the  den  of  the  wolves.  Notwithstanding  all  their  care, 
however,  three  of  the  ferocious  animals  broke  through 
their  ranks  and  escaped ;  the  other  four  of  the  pack,  were 
driven  within  reach  of  the  armed  men,  and  shot ;  I,  myself, 
slaying  a  large  one,  as  it  dashed  towards  me.  A  chas- 
seur now  blew  a  horn,  and  the  whole  party  assembled  at  the 
original  rendezvous.  As  each  wolf  was  brought  in,  shouts 
rent  the  air,  and  the  successful  hunters  were  received  with 
demonstrations  of  triumph." 

"  While  in  Lithuania,  I  heard  many  stories  of  the  large 
black  bear,  which  inhabits  the  Grand  Forest.  This  ani- 
mal is  fierce,  daring  and  powerful— not  equal,  perhaps,  to 


286  ADVENTURES  OF  CHAMOIS  HUNTERS. 

the  great  grizzly  bear  of  which  you  have  told  us,  but  still 
a  terrible  creature.     A  peasant  near   where  I  resided 
having  lost  a  cow,  and  finding  the  marks  which  had  been 
made  by  the  animal,  as  it  was  drawn  into  the  forest,  fol- 
lowed immediately  upon  the  traces.     After  walking  a  long 
distance,  he  saw  the  cow  lying  upon  the  ground,  half-de- 
voured.    The  man  was  armed  with  a  gun,  and  accompa- 
nied by  his  son — a  little  boy.  Feeling  assured  that  the  de- 
predator was  not  far  off,  and  that  he  would  return  to  renew 
his  feast,  he  erected  a  kind  of  stage  between  two  trees,  for 
the  purpose  of  fully  commanding  the  spot.     Here  he  took 
his  station,  and  arranged  his  weapon  for  service.     In  the 
course  of  a  few  hours,  Bruin  made  his  appearance,  and 
began  to  feed  from  the  cow.     The  peasant  fired,  and  as  the 
smoke  cleared  away,  he  saw  that  the  bear  had  rolled  over, 
as  if  killed.     He  then  descended  from  the  stage  to  com- 
plete his  victory,  if  that  should  be  necessary ;  but  was  im- 
mediately attacked  by  the  monster  in  the  most  furious 
manner.  The  boy  screamed,  ran  away,  and  soon  brought  a 
number  of  peasants,  armed  with  clubs,  to  the  rescue. 
But  before  they  could  force  the  bear  to  let  the  man  go, 
he  was  quite  dead.     They  bore  away  the  body  through 
the  wood.     As  they  went,  the  wounded  bear  hung  upon 
their  flanks,  and  made  repeated  and  furious  efforts  to  get 
his  victim  once  more  into  his  power.     When  they  reached 
the  peasant's  cottage  and  deposited  the  body  on  a  couch, 


ADVENTURES  OF  CHAMOIS  HUNTERS.  287 

the  revengeful  animal  came  up  to  the  door,  and  uttering 
two  or  three  awful  growls,  stretched  himself  out  and 
died." 

A  piece  of  the  chamois  had  been  served  up  as  a  luxury 
for  us  at  supper.  I  cannot  say  much  for  the  flesh  as  an 
edible ;  it  is  very  black,  and  possesses  nothing  of  the 
flavor  of  venison. „  The  hunters  increase  its  disagreeable 
qualities  by  cooking  it  in  oil,  or  stewing  it  in  some  barba- 
rous manner,  with  which  I  do  not  wish  to  be  acquainted. 

We  remained  at  Dumpfen  and  in  its  vicinity,  three 
weeks.  During  that  period,  we  engaged  in  three  chamois 
hunts,  each  occupying  two  days.  We  met  with  no  extra- 
ordinary adventures,  and  were  not  very  successful  in  the 
chase — two  chamois  being  the  entire  result  of  our  hunting 
experience,  among  the  wild  solitudes  of  the  Wildgrad 
Kogle.  But  we  were  delighted  with  the  grand  scenery, 
the  thrilling  sport,  and  the  bracing  mountain  air.  Be- 
sides, the  brave,  whole-souled  mountaineers,  did  all  in  their 
power  to  render  our  visit  pleasant,  and  their  cordial  man- 
.ners  charmed  us  both.  Their  mode  of  life  had  all  the 
freedom  and  independence  of  that  of  our  American  moun- 
taineers ;  but,  in  the  genuine  happiness  of  their  social 
gatherings,  they  were  far  above  the  rough,  reckless,  spree- 
ing  spirits  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Yet  in  daring  cou- 
rage and  fortitude,  as  in  skill  in  handling  the  rifle,  the 
Tyrolese  were  inferior  to  the  hunters  and  trappers  o 


288        LEAVE  THE  TYROL  FOR  ENGLAND. 

far,  far  west — the  men  who  are  to  conquer  the  wilderness 
and  lay  the  foundations  of  the  "last  empire  of  the  world." 
We  found  the  Tyrolese  strict  observers  of  the  forms  and 
and  ceremonies  of  the  Catholic  Church ;  yet,  unlike  many 
such,  they  had,  in  their  hearts,  a  fervent  feeling  of  real 
religion,  nurtured  by  communion  with  the  sublime  works 
of  the  Deity.  They  were,  also,  the  most  loyal  subjects 
of  the  House  of  Austria ;  and,  it  may  be  added,  that  the 
many  privileges  granted  them  by  the  imperial  government, 
justify  the  attachment.  They  are  the  favorite  subjects 
of  the  emperor,  and  in  his  time  of  sorest  need,  he  can 
depend  upon  their  fidelity. 

At  the  expiration-  of  three  weeks,  we  bade  adieu  to  the 
hospitable  Tyrolese,  and  started  upon  the  return  journey 
to  England.  Crossing  the  Alps,  we  proceeded  in  rude 
stages,  to  Venice,  the  city  of  the  sea,  "throned  on  a 
hundred  isles ;"  the  beauty  of  that  famous  city,  surpassed 
all  that  the  stories  of  others  had  caused  me  to  fancy.  At 
a  distance,  it  seemed  like  a  piece  of  enchanted  work, 
which,  at  the  potent  command  of  a  magician,  could  sink 
beneath  the  waves;  and  a  moon-light  ride  through  its 
"watery  streets,"  was  a  delightful  realization  of  olden 
dreams.  At  Venice,  we  embarked  for  Marseilles.  The 
voyage  was  prosperous  and  tolerably  rapid.  From  Mar- 
geilles  we  proceeded  by  railway  to  Paris,  and  thence  to 
Calais,  where  we  embarked  for  England.  Within  two  days 


AREIVE  IN  ENGLAND.  289 

after  landing  at  Dover,  we  were  safely  bestowed  at  Mr. 
Barrill's  country  seat. 

The  time  had  now  come  when  it  was  necessary  for  me 
to  leave  the  companion  of  my  many  hunting  expeditions — • 
the  kind  friend,  who  had  taken  the  hunter  of  the  Far 
West  under  his  patronage,  and  shown  him  the  wondrous 
scenes  of  the  world,  and  the  vast  wealth  of  animal  life 
inhabiting  the  regions  of  the  old  continents  and  the  new. 
Why  did  I  not  remain  and  spend  my  days  with  him  in 
affluence.  The  offer  was  made,  but  my  spirit  was  proud ; 
and,  besides,  I  preferred  to  lay  my  bones  in  my  native  land. 
With  many  thanks  for  the  offer,  and  for  kindness  never  to 
be  forgotten,  I  announced  to  him  my  determination  not 
to  test  his  bounty  any  farther.  But  he  compelled  me  to 
accept  a  considerable  amount  of  money — as  he  said,  to 
purchase  a  house  in  Texas — whither,  when  my  sight  failed 
and  my  sinews  stiffened,  I  might  retire  to  live  in  ease  and 
quiet.  He  accompanied  me  to  Liverpool — stocked  my 
trunks  with  excellent  clothing  and  made  every  preparation, 
which  anxious  friendship  could  suggest,  for  my  comfort. 
Truly,  a  faithful  friend  is  one  of  the  real  angels  of  this 
earth. 


25 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

AMERICA.  THE  NATIVE  LAND.  PURCHASE  A  HOUSE 
IN  TEXAS.  JOURNEY  TO  BROWN'S  HOLE.  THE 
FARMER  AND  THE  HUNTER.  CONCLUDING 
PICTURE. 

BIDDING  Mr.  Barrill  an  affectionate  farewell,  I  stepped 
aboard  the  steamer,  and  the  same  day,  she  put  out  from 
the  harbor  of  Liverpool.  During  the  first  day  of  the 
voyage,  I  felt  extremely  lively.  I  had  been  constantly 
in  company  with  my  amiable  friend  for  so  many  months, 
that  when  I  remembered  that  I  had  parted  from  him,  per- 
haps forever,  I  felt  somewhat  desolate.  But  the  various 
incidents  of  the  voyage,  and  the  necessity  of  considering 
the  course  to  be  pursued  after  arriving  in  America,  di- 
verted my  mind,  although  I  could  not  believe  that  the 
memory  of  my  friend  could  ever  relinquish  its  hold  upon 
Jr.y  heart. 

(290) 


RETURN  TO  AMERICA.  291 

The  first  land  that  greeted  my  eyes  was  hailed  with  a 
feeling  of  joy  which  I  cannot  describe.  It  was  my  native 
land — the  land  where  could  be  seen  the  graves  of  my  pa- 
rents— the  soil  on  which  the  light  of  heaven  first  blessed 
my  eyes — the  scene  of  the  crowding  memories  of  child- 
hood— the  place  where  I  desired  to  lay  my  bones — that 
they  might  fatten  the  soil  that  fed  me.  My  mother  earth, 
God  bless  thee ! 

We  entered  the  beautiful  bay  of  New  York,  and  shortly 
afterwards,  I  stepped  upon  the  shojr e  of  America.  I  did 
not  wish  to  remain  in  that  great  Babel  of  a  city — my  na- 
ture sighed  for  -another  element — less  intense  in  its  sub- 
duing influence,  and  more  bracing  to  the  body  and  the 
spirit.  The  next  day  after  my  arrival,  I  engaged  pas- 
sage in  a  steamer  for  Galvezton,  Texas,  and  the  next,  I 
was  on  the  way.  This  voyage  was  short,  but  tedious,  and 
when  I  came  in  sight  of  the  town  of  Galvezton,  my  heart 
fairly  leapt  in:  my  bosom  at  the  prospect  of  soon  being 
upon  the  prairies,  where  I  had  passed  so  many  adventurous 
days.  The  town  could  not  detain  me  long.  Purchasing 
agood  horse  and  a  quantity  of  ammunition,  I  prepared  my- 
self for  the  sport  of  the  prairies  and  mountains. 

But  a  sober  second  thought  advised  me  to  invest  the 
greater  portion  of  the  money  I  had  remaining,  in  the 
purchase  of  land  enough  for  a  farm.  From  a  wealthy 
gentleman  in  Galvezton,  I  obtained  the  possession  of  about 


292  VISIT  BROWN'S  HOLE. 

two  hundred  acres  of  what  was  generally  said  to  be  good 
ground,  twenty  miles  north  of  Austin,  the  capital  of  the 
state.  I  then  rode,  by  easy  journeys,  to  the  region  in 
which  my  purchase  was  located,  and  to  my  "  exceeding 
great  joy,"  I  found  that  it  was  situated  on  the  edge  of  a 
prairie,  boundless  to  the  eye.  The  soil  was  good.  There 
was  abundance  of  pure  water  in  the  vicinity ;  but  the' lack 
of  timber  was  conspicuous.  However,  I  was  delighted  with 
a  "morsel  of  earth,"  I  could  call  my  own. 

Having  had  my  deed  recorded  at  Austin,  I  journeyed 
northward,  armed  in  the  old  trapper  style,  to  visit  Brown's 
Hole.  The  first  night  after  leaving  the  town  I  encamped 
on  the  open  prairie — where  the  howls  of  the  coyotes 
sounded  like  old  familiar  voices  in  my  ears — and  my 
wreathing  pipe  was  a  comforting  companion.  I  sat  by  the 
fire  long  that  night,  recalling  the  faces  of  the  hunting 
region  and  the  scenery  and  incidents  of  my  early  life. 
And  as  the  panorama  of  recent  events  passe'd  through  my 
mind,  like  a  wondrous  vision,  I  could  scarcely  realize  that 
I,  a  poor  mountaineer  dependent  upon  my  rifle  for  a  sub- 
sistence had  but  the  other  day,  travelled  in  company  with 
an  English  gentleman  to  strange  and  distant  countries — 
had  encounted  the  lion,  the  tiger,  the  elephant  and  the 
giraffe,  upon  their  native  plains,  and  brought  them  to  my 
feet.  But  here  I  was,  back  in  the  land  of  the  buffalo,  the 
bear,  and  the  wolf,  where  my  first  hunting  experience  was 


HUNTING  THE  BUFFALO. 


293 


acquired,  safe  and  sound,  in  body  and  mind.  What  hunter 
of  the  mountains  could  boast  of  such  a  life  ? 

I  journeyed  leisurely  over  the  prairies.  It  was  late  in 
the  autumn.  The  few  trees  along  the  small  streams 
were  decked  with  a  foliage  of  purple  and  gold.  For 
several  days  I  saw  no  game  of  any  size ;  but  as  I  had  pro- 
vision's in  my  pack  sufficient  to  keep  me  during  my  jour- 
ney as  far  as  the  settlements  of  New  Mexico,  I  had  no 
feelings  more  serious  than  the  anxiety  of  a  mere  sports- 
man. When  within  a  few  days'  ride  of  the  first  settlement 
of  New  Mexico,  as  I  calculated,  a  few  buffalo  appeared. 

It  was  early  in  the  morning  when  I  first  saw  them,  like 
black  spots,  far  away  upon  the  plain.  My  l^eart  beat 
quick  and  fast,  and,  with  an  enthusiasm  which  sprang  from 
my  old  remembrances  of  sport,  I  rode  towards  them,  got 
to  the  windward,  and  with  a  quick  shot,  tumbled  a  large 
cow  into  a  lifeless  heap.  The  other  buffaloes  scampered 
away  before  I  got  an  opportunity  to  let  them  taste  my 
lead.  That  evening  I  enjoyed,  for  the  first  time  since  my 
return,  a  delicious  meal  of  tongue.  Yet  when  I  remem- 
bered the  eland  and  the  gemsbok  of  Africa,  the  luxury 
was  somewhat  diminished — such  is  the  vanity  of  the 
traveller.  Another  buffalo  was  killed  before  I  reached 
New  Mexico.  The  game  was  apparently  very  scarce  in 
this  region. 

The  journey  through  New  Mexico  was  rapidly  performed 
25* 


294  MEET  WITH  OLD  FRIENDS. 

as  far  as  the  beautiful  vale  of  Taos.  Here  I  found  A 
couple  of  mountain  friends,  who  insisted  on  my  remaining 
a  few  days  with  them,  to  give  them  a  leaf  of  my  life  since 
I  had  quit  the  Rocky  Mountains.  One  of  them — old 
Rube  Herring,  said  he  could  not  swallow  all  the  stories  I 
told  him  about  fighting  with  elephants  and  tigers — and 
both  of  the  listeners  hinted  that  I  was  trying  to  "|ull," 
them.  I  bore  their  sneers  patiently,  not  caring,  whether 
they  believed  or  doubted  me,  and  they  then  began  to  think 
that  the  wonder,  ot  whicn  1  spoke  were  "jest  so,  and  no 
mistake."  "  Perhaps,  Perey,  my  boy,"  said  one  of  them, 
"you  know  as  much  as  my  mule  Kit,  and  she  knew  fresh 
grass  so  darn'd  well,  that  we  couldn't  get  her  to  eat  hay, 
and  so  she  starved  to  death."  I  made  many  inquiries 
concerning  my  old  friends.  Some  had  been  "rubbed  out 
by  the  Injuns,"  as  the  hunters  expressed  it,  but  most  of 
them  were  still  pursuing  their  adventurous  business.  Among 
them  was  my- chum  Joe,  whom,  the  hunters  said,  I  would 
be  sure  to  find  at  "Brown's  Hole." 

I  set  out  alone  to  cross  the  wild  country  between  the 
vale  and  that  famous  station.  I  was  well  provided  in 
every  respect;  but  it  was  well-known  that  parties  of 
treacherous  Indians  were  numerous  in  this  region,  and  a 
single  hunter  had  a  small  chance  for  life,  in  daring  to  en- 
counter them.  But  I  was  fully  acquainted  with  the  route, 
and  trusted  to  my  powers  of  flight  and  concealment  to 


PURSUED  BY  INDIANS.  295 

pass  over  it  in  safety.  During  the  journey  of  the  first 
day  I  saw  no  Indians ;  and  the  only  game  I  killed  was  a 
black  tailed-deer.  On  the  third  day  after  leaving  Taos, 
I  came  upon  the  trail  of  a  party  of  Arapahoes,  and  was 
compelled  to  strike  off  from  the  direct  route  to  avoid 
them.  I  reached  Orphan's  Creek  without  meeting  with 
any  other  traces  to  alarm  me.  Having  encamped  upon 
the  banks  of  this  creek,  I  passed  a  pleasant  night ;  but  the 
next  morning  I  was  startled  by  the  appearance  of  a  large 
party  of  Indians  upon  a  ridge  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
back  upon  my  trail.  To  mount  my  horse  and  spur  away 
was  the  work  of  a  moment.  The  Indians  discovered  me 
about  the  same  instant,  and,  as  I  started,  the  clattering  of 
their  horses's  hoofs,  in  pursuit,  rang  in  my  ears.  Happily 
my  steed  was  a  gallant  one,  of  great  endurance,  although 
not  remarkably  swift.  I  led  them  a  long  chase,  during 
which  they  gained  somewhat  upon  me,  but  their  horses 
were  at  length  completely  exhausted,  and  as  one  of  them 
tumbled  upon  the  plain,  they  gave  up  the  pursuit.  I  in- 
stantly checked  the  speed  of  my  horse,  and  gave  a  shout 
of  triumph.  But  I  knew  I  was  not  safe  as  long  as  the  In- 
dians were  in  my  vicinity,  and,  therefore,  continued  my 
ride  at  a  trot  all  the  morning.  I  then  beleived  myself 
tolerably  secure,  and  during  the  afternoon,  my  horse 
travelled  at  his  ease.  That  night  was  a  restless  one,  as 
it  had  been  long  since  I  had  attempted  to  woo  Morpheus, 

24* 


A  VISIT  TO  BROWN'S  HOLE. 

while  knowing  that  keen-eyed  and  merciless  savages  were 
lurking  near.  However,  I  arose  in  the  morning,  tolerably 
refreshed,  and  pursued  my  journey.  No  further  inci- 
dents, worthy  of  mention,  occurred,  until  my  arrival  at 
Brown's  Hole. 

The  sight  of  this  famous  station  was  to  me  like  a  view 
of  home.  It  is  the  only  home,  which  the  hunter  of  the 
Rocky  Mountains  ever  knows,  and  it  is  natural  that  he 
should  feel  a  kind  of  attachment  to  it.  The  traders  wel- 
comed me  with  a  show  of  cordiality.  Parties  were  com- 
ing in  from  all  directions  I  had  not  been  at  the  station 
more  than  fifteen  minutes  when  a  bloated  face  was  placed 
directly  before  mine,  and  I  recognised  Joe  Blaney.  He 
had  already  commenced  the  dissipation  that  was  to  con- 
tinue during  the  winter.  But  he  recognised  me,  in  spite 
of  his  blurred  vision,  and  after  we  had  enjoyed  a  cordial 
shake  of  the  hand,  we  sat  down  to  smoke  and  chat.  I 
determined  to  remain  a  few  weeks  at  the  station.  During 
that  period,  the  hunters,  of  whom  I  have  spoken  in  a  pre- 
vious portion  of  this  narrative,  as  making  a  rendezvous  of 
Brown's  Hole,  came  in,  and  my  tongue  was  driven  to  a 
rapid  gallop  in  answering  their  inquiries.  Some  of  my 
stories  were  believed,  but  the  greater  portion  of  what  I 
related  was  set  down  as  fudge. 

As  soon  as  the  mountaineers  began  to  give  themselves 
up  to  the  dissipation  of  the  station,  I  bade  Joe  adieu, 


CONCLUDING  PICTURE.  297 

and  returned  to  Austin,  near  which  I  purchased  a  farm, 
and  "  settled  down." 

This  lengthy  narrative  of  an  adventurous  career  shall 
conclude'  with  a  picture  of  Peregrine  Herne,  farmer  and 
sportsman,  at  home.  He  has  inclosed  his  fields,  and 
heaven  has  blessed  his  cultivating  toil.  Prosperity  shines 
around  him.  He  has  taken  a  wife  unto  himself,  and,  al- 
though his  house  is  a  rude  log-cabin,  blithe  Mary's  presence 
makes  it  a  home  indeeed.  A  little  Peregrine  gets  into 
mischief  with  his  father's  rifle,  and  will  extract  the  bullets 
from  the  pouch,  in  his  absence.  But  he  is  the  image  of 
his  illustrious  progenitor,  and  he  must  have  toys  of  that 
sporting  kind. 

But  Peregrine  Herne,  the  elder,  is  not  merely  a  farmer. 
In  the  fall,  he  occasionally  goes  on  a  hunting  expedition 
over  the  prairies,  and,  to  the  great  alarm  of  his  anxious 
wife,  Mary,  spends  the  night  upon  the  wild  plains,  sur- 
rounded by  the  hungry  wolves.  Here,  smoking  his  pipe 
by  the  red  light  of  the  fire,  he  recalls  the  past,  in  dreamy 
pictures,  which  pass  before  him  in  the  wreathing  smoke. 
He  has  drunk  deeply  of  the  perils  and  pleasures-  of  a 
hunter's  life — he  has  faced  death,  in  a  hundred  shapes, 
while  engaged  in  the  chase ;  but  he  has  also  felt  the 
bracing  power  of  a  free  life,  with  but  one  hope — that  of 
killing  food  enough  for  the  morrow. 

38 


A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO. 

I  HAVE  spent  some  years  in  the  backwoods.  I  have 
ridden  wildly  with  the  hunter,  and  strolled  quietly  with 
the  naturalist.  I  excel  not  in  the  chase — I  excel  not  in 
the  knowledge  of  natural  history — but  both  I  love.  In 
my  memory  of  backwoods  life,  these  two  things  are  inti- 
mately connected  with  each  other;  for  the  reason,  per- 
haps, that  both  were  followed  at  the  same  time.  In  the 
same  excursion  I  was  hunter,  zoologist,  botanist,  and 
geologist.  When  I  failed  to  fill  my  bag  with  game,  it 
became  the  receptacle  of  rare  plants.  "When  my  rifle 
failed  to  bring  down  a  beast  or  a  winged  bird,  my  surer 
hatchet,  indented  the  rock  in  situ  or  the  stray  boulder. 
Often  when  riding  madly  in  the  deer  "drive"  I  have 
dragged  my  horse  on  his  haunches  at  the  sight  of  some 
tiny  flower  with  a  new  face  ;  and  often  upon  the  "  stand" 

I  have  forgotten  my  purpose,  and  let  the  red  roe  bound 

• 

*  The  two   sketches  inserted  here  are  copied  from  the  New  York 
Monthly,  where  they  appear  without  the  author's  name. 

(298) 


A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO.  299 

harmlessly  by,  while  watching  the  gambols  of  the  little 
green  lizard  or  the  leaping  tarantula.  After  all,  the 
naturalist  was  stronger  within  me  than  the  hunter ;  though 
fond  of  both,  I  loved  the  study  better  than  the  chase. 

And  now,  from  the  world's  metropolis,  as  I  look  back 
upon  the  scenes  of  my  backwoods  life,  my  mind  yields 
itself  up  to  sweet  remembrances — sweeter  than  the  retro- 
spect of  war — a  fresher  memory — sweeter  than  the  retro- 
spect of  school  and  college  days,  or  even  the  days  of 
childhood.  I  love  to  paint  those  scenes  with  words,  for 
while  so  occupied  I  feel  as  if  they  were  again  passing 

before  me. 

***** 

Colonel  P is  a  splendid  specimen  of  the  back- 
woods gentleman — there  are  gentlemen  in  the  backwoods. 
His  house  is  the  type  of  a  backwoods  mansion ;  it  is  a 
wooden  structure,  both  walls  and  roof:  no  matter.  It 
has  distributed  as  much  hospitality  in  its  time  as  many  a 
marble  palace :  this  is  one  of  its  backwoods  character- 
istics. It  stands  upon  the  north  bank  of  the  Ohio — that 
beautiful  stream — "La  belle  riviere,"  as  the  French 
colonists,  and  before  their  time  the .  Indians  used  to  call 
it.  It  is  far  from  great  cities.  It  is  in  the  midst  of  the 
woods — though  around  it  are  a  thousand  acres  of  "  clear- 
ing," where  you  may  distinguish  fields  of  golden  wheat, 
and  groves  of  shining  maize-plants  waving  aloft  their 


300  A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO. 

yellow-flower  tassels.  You  may  note,  too,  the  broad 
green  leaf  of  the  Nicotian  "weed,"  or  the  bursting  pod 
of  the  snow-white  cotton.  In  the  garden  you  will  observe 
the  sweet  potato  (convolvulus  batatas,}  the  common  one 
(solanum  tuberosum,)  the  refreshing  tomato,  the  huge 
water-melon,  cantelopes,  and  musk-melons,  with  many 
others  of  the  cucurbitaceae.  You  will  see  pods  of  the  red 
and  green  pepper  (capsicum)  growing  upon  trailing  plants 
like  convolvuli  or  vines;  and  beside  them  species  of 
leguminosde — all  valuable  for  the  colonel's  cuisine.  There 
is  an  orchard,  too ;  it  is  several  acres  in  extent.  It  is 
filled  with  fruit  trees ;  you  behold  the  finest  peaches  in 
the  world — the  finest  apples — the  Newton  pippins.  Be- 
sides, there  are  luscious  pears  and  plums,  and  upon  the 
espaliers  are  vines  bearing  bushels  of  sweet  grapes.  If 

Colonel  P lives  in  the  woods,  it  cannot  be  said  that 

he  is  surrounded  by  a  desert. 

There  are  several  substantial  log-houses  near  the  main 
building  or  mansion.  They  are,  the  stable — and  good 
horses  there  are  in  that  stable — the  cow-house,  for  milk 
cattle ;  the  barn,  to  hold  the  wheat  and  maize-corn  ;  the 
smoke-house,  for  curing  bacon ;  a  large  building  for  the 
dry  tobacco ;  a  cotton-gin,  with  its  shed  of  clap-boards  ; 
bins  for  the  husk  fodder,  and  several  smaller  structures. 
In  one  corner  you  see  a  low-walled  erection  that  reminds 
you  of  a  kennel,  and  the  rich  music  that  from  time  to 


A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO.  301 

time  issues  from  its  apertures  convince  you  that  it  is  a 
kennel.  If  you  peep  into  it,  you  will  see  a  dozen  of  as 
fine  stag-hounds  as  ever  lifted  a  trail.  The  colonel  is 
somewhat  partial  to  these  pets,  for  he  is  a  "mighty 
hunter."  You  may  see  a  number  of  young  colts  in  an 
adjoining  lot ;  a  pet  deer,  a  buffalo-calf,  that  has  been 
brought  from  the  far  prairies,  pea-fowl,  guinea-hens, 
turkeys,  geese,  ducks,  and  the  usual  proportion  of  com- 
mon fowls.  Rail  fences  zigzag  off  in  all  directions  to- 
wards the  edge  of  the  woods.  Huge  trees,  dead  and 
divested  of  their  leaves,  stand  up  in  the  cleared  fields. 
Turkey  buzzards  and  carrion  crows  (cathartes  aura  and 
atratus)  are  perched  upon  their  grey  naked  limbs ;  upon 
their  summit  sits  the  great  rough-legged  falcon  (falco 
lagopus  ;)  and  above  all,  cutting  sharply  against  the  blue 
sky,  sails  the  fork-tailed  kite  of  the  south  (falco  Missis- 
sippiensis.) 

Just  such  a  picture  opened  before  my  eyes  as  I  rode 

into  the  clearing  of  Colonel  P ,  in  the  fall  of  1849. 

I  had  travelled  several  hundred  miles — a  mere  bagatelle 
in  America — to  be  present  at  a  great  "pigeon-hunt," 
arranged  by  the  colonel  for  the  gratification  of  his 
friends. 

On  my  arrival  I  found  the  party  assembled.  It  con- 
sisted of  a  score  and  a  half  of  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
nearly  all  young  people.  The  pigeons  had  not  yet  made 

26  I 


302  A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO. 

their  appearance,  but  were  looked  for  every  hour.  The 
woods  had  assumed  the  gorgeous  tints  of  autumn,  that 
liveliest  of  seasons  in  the  "far  west."  Already  the  ripe 
nuts  and  berries  were  scattered  profusely  over  the  earth, 
offering  their  annual  banquet  to  God's  wild  creatures. 
The  mast  of  the  beach  tree  (fagus  Sylvatica] — of  which 
the  wild  pigeon  is  so  fond — was  showering  down  among 
the  dead  leaves.  It  was  the  very  season  at  which  the 
birds  were  accustomed  to  visit  the  beechen  woods  that 
girdled  the  colonel's  plantation.  They  would  no  doubt 
soon  appear.  With  this  expectation  every  thing  was 
made  ready ;  each  of  the  gentlemen  was  provided  with  a 
fowling-piece,  or  rifle,  if  he  preferred  it ;  and  even  some 
of  the  ladies  insisted  upon  being  armed. 

To  render  the  sport  more  exciting,  our  host  had  estab- 
lished certain  regulations.  They  were  as  follows : — The 
gentlemen  were  divided  into  two  parties,  of  equal  num- 
bers. These  were  to  go  in  opposite  directions,  the  ladies 
upon  the  first  day  of  the  hunt  accompanying  whichever 
they  chose.  Upon  all  succeeding  days  however,  the 
case  would  be  different.  The  ladies  were  to  accompany 
that  party  which  upon  the  day  previous  had  lagged  the 
greatest  number  of  birds.  The  victorious  gentlemen, 
moreover,  were  endowed  with  other  privileges  which 
lasted  throughout  the  evening — such  as  the  choice  of 
partners  for  the  dinner  table  and  the  dance. 


A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO.  303 

I  need  not  point  out  to  the  reader  that  in  these  condi- 
tions existed  powerful  motives  for  exertion.  The  colonel's 
guests  were  the  elite  of  western  society.  Most  of  the 
gentlemen  were  young  men  or  bachelors ;  and  among  the 
ladies  there  were  belles — three  or  four  of  them  rich  and 
beautiful.  On  my  arrival  I  could  perceive  signs  of  in- 
cipient flirtations.  Attachments  had  already  arisen ;  and 
by  many  it  would  have  been  esteemed  any  thing  but 
pleasant  to  be  separated  in  the  manner  prescribed.  A 
strong  esprit  du  corps  was  thus  established ;  and  by  the 
time  the  pigeons  arrived,  both  parties  had  determined  to 
do  their  utmost.  In  fact,  I  have  never  known  so  strong 
a  feeling  of  rivalry  to  exist  between  two  parties  of  ama- 
teur sportsmen. 

****** 

x, 
Wilson,  and,  later  still,  the  world-renowned  naturalist, 

Audubon,  have  left  but  little  to  be  told  of  the  American 
"passenger  pigeon"  (Oolumba  migratoria.)  A  few  facts, 
however,  from  the  observations  of  an  amateur  ornitholo- 
gist, may  not  be  'without  interest.  They  will,  perhaps, 
brighten  up  the  reader's  recollections  of  this  singular 
bird. 

The  "  passenger"  is  less  in  size  than  the  house-pigeon. 
In  the  air  it  looks  not  unlike  the  kite,  wanting  the  forked 
or  "  swallow"  tail.  That  of  the  pigeon  is  cuneiform.  It 8 
color  is  best  described  by  calling  it  a  nearly  uniform  slate. 


304  A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO. 

In  the  male  the  colors  are  deeper,  and  the  neck  feathers 
present  the  same  changeable  hues  >of  green,  gold,  and 
purple-crimson,  generally  observed  in  birds  of  this  spe- 
cies. It  is  only  in  the  woods,  and  when  freshly  caught 
or  killed,  that  these  brilliant  tints  can  be  seen  to  perfec- 
tion. They  fade  in  captivity,  and  immediately  after  the 
bird  has  been  shot.  They  seem  to  form  part  of  its  life 
and  liberty,  and  disappear  when  it  is  robbed  of  either.  I 
have  often  thrust  the  wild  pigeon,  freshly  killed,  into  my 
game-bag,  glittering  like  an  opal.  I  have  drawn  it  forth 
a  few  hours  after,  of  a  dull  leaden  hue,  and  altogether 
unlike  the  same  bird.  As  with  all  birds  of  this  tribe,  the 
female  is  inferior  to  the  male,  both  in  size  and  plumage. 
The  eye  is  less  vivid.  In  the  male  it  is  of  the  most  bril- 
liant fiery  orange,  inclosed  in  a  well-defined  circle  of  red 
skin.  The  eye  is  in  truth  its  finest  feature,  and  never 
fails  to  strike  the  beholder  with  admiration. 

The  most  singular  fact  in  the  natural  history  of  the 
"passenger,"  is  their  countless  numbers.  Audubon  saw 
a  flock  that  contained  "  one  billion  one  hundred  and  six- 
teen millions  of  birds."  Wilson  counted,  or  rather  com- 
puted, another  flock  of  "  two  thousand  two  hundred  and 
thirty  millions!"  These  numbers  seem  incredible.  I 
have  doubt  of  their  truth.  I  have  no  doubt  they  are 
under  rather  than  over  the  numbers  actually  seen  by  both 
these  naturalists,  for  both  made  most  liberal  allowances 


A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO.  305 

in  their  calculations.  Where  do  these  immense  flocks 
come  from  ?  They  breed  in  all  parts  of  America.  Their 
breeding-places  are  found  as  far  north  as  the  Hudson's 
Bay,  and  they  have  been  seen  in  the  southern  forests  of 
Louisiana  and  Texas.  The  nests  are  built  upon  high 
trees,  and  resemble  immense  rookeries.  In  Kentucky,  one 
of 'their  breeding-places  was  forty  miles  in  length  by 
several  in  breadth  !  One  hundred  nests  will  often  be 
found  upon  a  single  tree,  and  in  each  nest  there  is  but 
one  "squab."  Their  eggs  are  pure  white,  like  those  of 
the  common  kind,  and  like  them  they  breed  several  times 
during  the  year,  but  principally  when  food  is  plenty. 
They  establish  themselves  in  great  "  roosts,"  sometimes 
for  years  together,  to  which  each  night  they  return  from 
their  distant  excursions — hundreds  of  miles,  perhaps ;  for 
this  is  but  a  short  fly  for  travellers  who  can  pass  over  a 
mile  in  a  single  minute,  and  some  of  whom  have  even 
strayed  across  the  Atlantic  to  England !  They,  however, 
as  I  myself  have  observed,  remain  in  the  same  woods 
where  they  have  been  feeding  for  several  days  together. 
I  have  also  noticed  that  they  prefer  roosting  in  the  low 
underwood,  even  when  tall  trees  are  close  at  hand.  If 
near  water,  or  hanging  over  a  stream,  the  place  is  still 
more  to  their  liking ;  and  in  the  morning  they  may  be 
Been  alighting  on  the  bank  to  drink,  before  taking  to 
their  daily  occupation. 

26* 


306  A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO. 

Their  great  "roosts"  and  breeding-places  are  favorite 
resorts  for  numerous  birds  of  prey.  The  small  vultures 
(cathartes  aura  and  atratus,)  or  as  they  are  called  in  the 
west,  "turkey  buzzard,"  and  "carrion  crow,"  do  not 
confine  themselves  to  carrion  alone.  They  are  fond  of 
live  "  squabs,"  which  they  drag  out  of  their  nests  at 
pleasure.  Numerous  hawks  and  kites  prey  upon  them ; 
and  even  the  great  white-headed  eagle  (falco  leucocepha- 
lus)  may  be  seen  soaring  and  occasionally  sweeping  down 
for  a  dainty  morsel.  On  the  ground  beneath  move  ene- 
mies of  a  different  kind,  both  biped  and  quadruped. 
Fowlers  with  their  guns  and  long  poles  ;  farmers  with 
wagons  to  carry  off  the  dead  birds ;  and  even  droves  of 
hogs  to  devour  them.  Trees  fall  under  the  axe,  and  huge 
branches  break  down  by  the  weight  of  the  birds  them- 
selves, killing  numbers  in  their  descent.  Torches  are 
used — for  it  is  usually  a  night  scene,  after  the  return  of 
the  birds  from  feeding — pots  of  burning  sulphur,  and 
other  engines  of  destruction.  A  noisy  scene  it  is.  The 
clapping  of  a  'million  pair  of  wings,  like  the  roaring  of 
thunder ;  the  shouts ;  men  hoarsely  calling  to  each 
'other;  women  and  children  screaming  their  delight;  the 
barking  of  dogs;  the  neighing  of  horses;  the  "crash" 
of  breaking  branches ;  and  the  "  chuck"  of  the  woodman's 
axe,  all  mingled  together. 

When  the  men — saturated  with'  slaughter,  and  white 


A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO.  307 

with  ordure — have  retired  beyond  the  borders  of  the  roost 
to  rest  themselves  for  the  night,  their  ground  is  occupied 
bj  the  prowling  wolf  and  fox ;  the  racoon  and  cougar , 
the  lynx,  and  the  great  black  bear. 

With  so  many  enemies,  one  would  think  that  the  "  pas 
sengers"  would  soon  be  exterminated.  Not  so.  They  are 
too  prolific  for  that.  Indeed,  were  it  not  for  these  ene- 
mies, they  themselves  would  perish  for  want  of  food. 
Fancy  what  it  takes  to  feed  them  !  The  flock  seen  by 
Wilson  would  require  eighteen  million  bushels  every  day  / 
and  it  most  likely,  was  only  one  of  many  such  that  at  the 
time  were  traversing  the  vast  continent  of  America.  Upon 
what  do  they  feed,  it  will  be  asked  ?  Upon  the  fruits  of 
the  great  forest — upon  the  acorns,  the  nuts  of  the  beech, 
upon  buck- wheat,  and  Indian  corn ;  upon  many  species 
of  berries,  such  as  the  huckleberry  (whortleberry,)  the 
hackberry  (celtis  crassifolia^)  and  the  fruit  of  the  holly. 
In  the  northern  regions,  where  these  are  scarce,  the  ber- 
ries of  the  juniper  tree  (Juniperus  communis)  form  the 
principal  food.  On  the  other  hand,  among  the  southern 
plantations,  they  devour  greedily  the  rice,  as  well  as  the 
nuts  of  the  chesnut  tree  and  several  species  of  oaks. 
But  their  staple  food  is  the  beechnut,  or  "mast,"  as  it  is 
called.  Of  this  the  pigeons  are  fond,  and  fortunately  it 
exists  in  great  plenty.  In  the  forests  of  Western  America 
there  are  vast  tracts  covered  almost  entirely  with  the 


308  A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO. 

beech  trees.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  forest 
trees.  Unlike  most  of  the  others,  its  bark  is  smooth, 
without  cracks,  and  often  of  a  silvery  hue.  Large  beech 
trees  standing  by  the  path,  or  near  a  cross-road,  are  often 
seen  covered  with  names,  initials,  and  dates.  Indeed,  the 
beautiful  column-like  trunk  seems  to  invite  the  ever  ready 
knife;  and  many  a  souvenir  is  carved  upon  it  by  the 
loitering  wayfarer.  It  does  not,  however,  invite  the  axe 
of  the  settler.  On  the  contrary,  the  beech  woods  often 
remain  untouched,  while  others  fall  around  them — partly 
because  these  trees  are  not  usually  the  indices  of  the 
richest  soil,  but  more  from  the  fact  that  clearing  a  piece 
of  beech  forest  is  no  easy  matter.  The  green  logs  do  not 
burn  so  readily  as  those  of  the  oak,  the  maple,  the  elm, 
or  poplar,  and  hence  the  labor  of  rolling  them  off  the 
ground — a  serious  thing  where  labor  is  scarce  and  dear. 
For  these  reasons,  the  beechen  forests  of  America  remain 
almost  intact,  and  so  long  as  they  shower  down  their  mil- 
lions of  bushels  of  "  masts,"  so  long  will  the  passenger 
pigeons  flutter  in  countless  numbers  amidst  their  branches. 
Large  tracts  of  beech-woods  adjoined  the  plantation 

of  Colonel  P- ;  and  of  course  the  pigeons  might  be 

expected  about  the  falling  of  the  mast.  Their  migration 
is  semi-annual ;  but  unlike  most  other  migratory  birds,  it 
is  far  from  being  regular.  Their  flight  is  in  fact  not  a 
periodical  migration,  but  a  sort  of  nomadic  existence — 


A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO.  309 

food  being  the  object  which  keeps  them  in  motion  and 
directs  their  course.  The  scarcity  in  one  part  determines 
their  movement  to  another.  When  there  is  more  than 
the  usual  fall  of  snow  in  the  northern  regions,  vast  flocks 
make  their  appearance  in  the  middle  states,  as  in  Ohio 
and  Kentucky.  This  may  in  some  measure  account  for 
the  overcrowded  "roosts"  which  have  been  occasionally 
seen,  but  which  are  by  no  means  common.  You  may  live 
in  the  west  for  many  years  without  witnessing  a  scene 
such  as  those  described  by  -Wilson  and  Audubon,  though 
once  or  twice  every  year  you  may  see  pigeons  enough  to 
astonish  you. 

The  pigeons  at  length  arrived.  It  was  a  bright  sunny 
morning,  and  yet  at  intervals  the  atmosphere  was  dark- 
ened, as  the  vast  flock,  a  mile  in  breadth  by  several  in 
length,  passed  across  the  canopy.  The  sound  of  their 
wings  resembled  a  strong  wind  whistling  among  tree-tops 
or  through  the  rigging  of  a  ship.  We  saw  that  they 
hovered  over  the  woods,  and  settled  among  the  tall 
beeches. 

The  hunt  was  announced,  and  we  set  forth,  each  party 
taking  the  direction  allotted  to  it.  With  each  went  a 
number  of  ladies,  and  even  some  of  these  were  armed 
with  light  fowling-pieces,  determined  that  the  party  of 
their  choice  should  be  the  victorious  one. 

After  a  short  ride,  we  found  ourselves  fairly  "  in  tho 


310  A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO. 

woods,"  and  in  the  presence  of  the  birds,  and  the  sharp 
crack  of  the  rifle  was  heard,  mingled  with  the  loud  report 
of  the  double-barrelled  shot  guns. 

Now  it  must  not  be  imagined  that  the  wild  pigeons  of 
America  are  so  "  tame"  as  they  have  been  sometimes 
represented.  That  is  their  character  only  while  young 
at  the  breeding-places,  or  at  the  great  roost's  when  con- 
fused by  crowding  upon  each  other,  and  mystified  by 
torchlight.  Far  different  are  they  when  wandering 
through  the  open  woods  in  search  of  food.  It  is  then  both 
difficult  to  approach  and  hard  to  kill  them.  Odd  birds 
you  may  easily  reach ;  you  may  see  them  perched  upon 
the  branches  on  all  sides  of  you,  and  within  shot-range ; 
but  the  thick  of  the  flock,  somehow  or  other,  always 
keeps  from  one  to  two  hundred  yards  off.  The  sports- 
man cannot  bring  himself  to  fire  at  single  birds.  No. 
There  is  a  tree  near  at  hand  literally  black  with  pigeons. 
Its  branches  creak  under  the  weight.  What  a  fine  havoc 
he  will  make  if  he  can  but  get  near  enough !  But  that 
is  the  difficulty  ;  there  is  no  cover,  and  he  must  approach 
as  he  best  can  without  it.  He  continues  to  advance  ;  the 
birds  sit  silent,  watching  his  movements.  He  treads 
lightly  and  with  caution ;  he  inwardly  anathematises  the 
dead  leaves  and  twigs  that  make  a  loud  rustling  under  his 
feet.  The  birds  appear  restless ;  several  stretch  out  their 
necks  as  if  to  spring  off.  At  length  he  deems  himself 


A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO.  311 

fairly  within  range,  and  raises  his  gun  to  take  aim ;  but 
this  is  a  signal  for  the  shy  game,  and  before  he  can  draw 
trigger  they  are  off  to  another  tree  !  Some  stragglers 
still  remain ;  and  at  them  he  levels  his  piece  and  fires. 
The  shot  is  a  random  one;  for  our  sportsman  having 
failed  to  "  cover  the  flock,"  has  become  irritated  and  care- 
less, and  in  all  such  cases  the  pigeons  fly  off  with  the  loss 
of  a  few  feathers.  The  gun  is  reloaded,  and  our  amateur 
hunter,  seeing  the  thick  flock  upon  another  tree,  again 
endeavors  to  approach  them,  but  with  like  success.  In 
our  party  we  had  eight  guns,  exclusive  of  the  small 
fowling-pieces  (two  of  these,)  with  which  a  brace  of  our 
heroines  were  armed,  and  which  truth  compels  me  to  con- 
fess, were  less  dangerous  to  the  pigeons  than  to  ourselves. 
Some  of  our  guns  were  double-barrelled  shot-guns,  others 
were  rifles.  You  will  wonder  at  rifles  being  used  in  such 
a  sport,  and  yet  it  is  a  fact  that  the  gentlemen  who  car- 
ried rifles  managed  to  do  more  execution  than  those  who 
were  armed  with  the  other  species.  This  arose  from  the 
circumstance  that  they  were  contented  to  aim  at  single 
birds,  and,  being  good  shots,  they  were  almost  sure  to 
bring  these  down.  The  woods  were  filled  with  straggling 
pigeons.  Odd  birds  were  always  within  rifle  range ;  and 
thus,  instead  of  wasting  their  time  in  approaching  the  great 
flocks,  our  riflemen  did  nothing  but  load  and  fire.  In  this 
way  they  soon  counted  their  game  by  the  dozens. 


312  A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO. 

Early  in  the  evening,  the  pigeons  having  filled  their 
crops  with  the  mast,  disappeared.  They  flew  off  to  some 
distant  "roost."  This  of  course  concluded  our  sport  for 
the  day.  We  got  together  and  counted  our  numbers. 
We  had  six  hundred  and  forty  birds.  We  returned  home 
full  of  hope ;  we  felt  certain  that  we  had  won  for  that 
day.  Our  antagonist  had  arrived  before  us.  They 
showed  us  seven  hundred  and  seventy-six  dead  pigeons. 
We  were  beaten. 

I  really  cannot  explain  the  chagrin  which  this  defeat 
occasioned  to  most  of  our  party.  They  felt  humiliated  in 
the  eyes  of  the  ladies,  whose  company  they  were  to  lose 
on  the  morrow.  To  some  there  was  extreme  bitterness 
in  the  idea ;  for,  as  I  have  already  stated,  attachments 
had  sprung  up,  and  jealous  thoughts  were  naturally  their 
concomitants.  It  was  quite  tantalizing  as  we  parted  next 
morning,  to  see  the  galaxy  of  lovely  women  ride  off  with 
our  antagonists,  while  we  sought  the  woods  in  an  opposite 
direction,  dispirited  and  in  silence. 

We  went,  however,  determined  to  do  our  best,  and  win 
the  ladies  for  the  morrow.  A  council  was  held,  and 
each  imparted  his  advice  and  encouragement ;  and  then 
we  all  set  to  work  with  shot-gun  and  rifle. 

On  this  day  an  incident  occurred  that  aided  our  "  count" 
materially.  The  wilder  pigeons  while  feeding,  sometimes 
cover  the  ground  so  thickly  that  they  crowd  upon  each 


A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO.  313 

other.  They  all  advance  in  the  same  direction,  those 
behind  are  continually  rising  up  and  fluttering  to  the  front, 
so  that  the  surface  presents  a  series  of  undulations  like 
sea  waves.  Frequently  the  birds  alight  on  each  other's 
back,  for  want  of  room  upon  the  ground,  and  a  confused 
mass  of  winged  creatures  is  seen  rolling  through  the 
woods.  At  such  times  if  the  sportsmen  can  only  "  head" 
the  flock,  he  is  sure  of  a  good  shot.  Almost  every  bullet 
tells,  and  dozens  may  be  brought  down  at  a  single  dis- 
charge. 

In  my  progress  through  the  woods,  I  had  got  separa- 
ted from  my  companions,  when  I  observed  an  immense 
flock  approaching  me,  after  the  manner  described.  I  saw 
from  their  plumage  that  they  were  young  birds,  and 
not  likely  to  be  easily  alarmed.  I  drew  my  horse,  (I  was 
mounted)  behind  a  tree,  and  awaited  their  approach. 
This  I  did  more  from  curiosity  than  any  other  motive,  as, 
unfortunately,  I  carried  a  rifle,  and  could  only  have  killed 
one  or  two  at  the  best.  The  crowd  came  "swirling"  for- 
ward, and  when  they  were  within  ten  or  fifteen  paces 
distant,  I  fired  into  their  midst.  To  my  surprise,  the 
flock  did  not  take  flight,  but  continued  to  advance  aa 
before,  until  they  were  almost  among  the  horse's  feet.  I 
could  stand  it  no  longer.  I  drove  the  spurs  deeply,  and 
galloped  into  their  midst,  striking  right  and  left  as  they 
fluttered  up  around  me.  Of  course  they  were  soon  off; 

'27 


314  A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO. 

but  of  those  that  had  been  trodden  upon  by  my  horse, 
and  others  I  had  knocked  down,  I  counted  no  less  than 
twenty-seven  !  Proud  of  my  exploit,  I  gathered  the  birds 
into  my  bag,  and  rode  in  search  of  my  companions. 

Our  party  on  this  day  numbered  over  eight  hundred 
head  killed ;  but,  to  our  surprise  and  chagrin,  our  antago- 
nists had  beaten  us  by  more  than  a  hundred. 

The  gentlemen  of  "ours"  were  wretched. 

The  belles  were  monopolized  by  our  antagonists ;  we  were 
scouted,  and  debarred  every  privilege.  It  was  not  to  be 
endured ;  something  must  be  done.  What  was  to  be  done  ? 
councilled  we.  If  fair  means  will  not  answer,  we  must 
try  the  opposite.  It  was  evident  that  our  antagonists 
were  better  shots  than  we. 

The  colonel,  too,  was  one  of  them,  and  he  was  sure  to 
kill  every  time  he  pulled  trigger.  The  odds  were  against 
us ;  some  plan  must  be  devised ;  some  ruse  must  be 
adopted,  and  the  idea  of  one  had  been  passing  through 
my  mind  the  whole  of  that  day.  It  was  this : — I  had 
noticed,  that,  although  the  pigeons  would  not  allow  the 
sportsmen  to  come  within  range  of  a  fowling  piece,  yet  at 
a  distance  of  little  over  a  hundred  yards,  they  neither 
fear  man  nor  beast.  At  that  distance  they  sit  unconcerned, 
thousands  of  them  upon  a  single  tree.  It  struck  me  that 
a  gun  large  enough  to  throw  shot  among  them,  would  be 
certain  of  killing  hundreds  at  each  discharge  ;  but  where 


A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO.  315 

was  such  a  gun  to  be  had  ?  As  I  reflected  thus,  "  moun- 
tain howitzers"  came  into  my  mind.  I  remembered 
the  small  mountain  howitzers  we  had  made  use  of  in 
scaling  the  steeps  of  the  Andes.  One  of  these  loaded 
with  shot  would  be  the  very  weapon.  I  knew  there  was 
a  battery  of  them  at  Covington  barracks.  I  knew  that  a 
friend  of  mine  commanded  the  battery.  By  rail  it  was 
but  a  few  hours  to  Covington.  I  proposed  sending  for  a 
"mountain  howitzer." 

I  need  hardly  say  that  my  proposal  was  hailed  with  a 
universal  welcome  on  the  part  of  my  companions ;  and 
without  dropping  a  hint  to  the  other  party,  it  was  at  once 
resolved  that  the  design  should  be  carried  into  execution. 
A  messenger  was  forthwith  dispatched  to  Covington,  and 
before  twelve  o'clock  the  following  day  we  found  the  little 
howitzer  at  a  place  in  the  woods  previously  agreed  upon. 

My  friend,  Captain  C ,  had  sent  a  "live  corporal" 

along  with  it,  and  we  had  no  difficulty  in  its  management. 

As  I  had  anticipated,  it  answered  our  purpose  as  though 
it  had  been  made  for  it.  Every  shot  brought  down  a 
shower  of  dead  birds,  and  after  one  discharge  alone  the 
number  obtained  was  one  hundred  and  twenty-three !  At 
night  our  "  game  bag"  counted  over  three  thousand  birds  ! 
We  were  sure  of  the  ladies  for  the  morrow. 

Before  returning  home  to  our  certain  triumph,  how- 
ever, there  were  some  considerations.  To-morrow  we 


316  A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO. 

should  have  the  ladies  in  our  company ;  some  of  the  fair 
creatures  would  he  as  good  as  sure  to  "split"  upon  the 
howitzer.  What  was  to  he  done  to  prevent  this  ? 

We  eight  had  sworn  to  he  staunch  to  each  other.  We 
had  taken  every  precaution ;  we  had  only  used  our  "great 
gun"  when  far  off,  so  that  its  report  might  not  reach  the 
ears  of  our  antagonists;  hut  how  ahout  to-morrow? 
Could  we  trust  our  fair  companions  with  a  secret  ?  De- 
cidedly not.  This  was  the  unanimous  conclusion.  A 
new  idea  came  to  our  aid.  We  saw  that  we  might  dis- 
pense with  the  howitzer,  and  still  manage  to  out-count 
our  opponents.  We  should  make  a  depository  of  birds  in 
a  safe  place.  There  was  a  squatter's  house  near  hy. 
That  would  do,  so  we  took  the  squatter  into  council,  and 
left  some  one  thousand  five  hundred  hirds  in  his  charge, 
the  remainder  being  deemed  sufficient  for  that  day.  From 
the  one  thousand  five  hundred  thus  left,  we  might  each 
day  take  a  few  hundred  to  make  up  our  game-hag  just 
enough  to  out-number  the  other  party.  We  did  not  send 
home  the  corporal  and  his  howitzer.  We  might  require 
him  again  :  so  we  quartered  him  upon  the  squatter. 

On  returning  home,  we  found  that  our  opponents  had 
also  made  a  "  big  day's  work  of  it ;"  but  they  were  beaten 
by  hundreds.  The  ladies  were  ours ! 

And  we  kept  them  until  the  end  of  the  hunt,  to  the  no 
little  mortification  of  the  gentlemen  in  the  "minority.* 


A  PIGEON  HUNT  ON  THE  OHIO.  £17 

To  their  surprise — for  most  of  them  being  crack-shots, 
and  several  of  us  not  at  all  so — they  could  not  compre- 
hend why  they  were  every  day  beaten  so  outrageously. 
We  had  hundreds  to  spare,  and  barrels  of  them  were 
cured  for  winter  use.  It  was  not  until  the  colonel's 
reunion  was  about  to  break  up,  that  our  secret  was  let 
out,  to  the  no  small  chagrin  of  our  opponents,  but  to  the 
infinite  amusement  of  our  host  himself,  who,  although 
one  of  the  defeated  party,  often  narrates  to  his  friends 
the  story  of  the  "Hunt  with  the  Howitzer." 


A  WILD-HOG  HUNT  IN  TEXAS. 

BY  the  Americans,  what  we  call  the  wild  hog  is  called 
the  Peccary  (dicotyles.)  Of  this  animal  there  are  two 
distinct  species  known.  The  collared  peccary"  (dicotyles 
torquatus,)  and  the  "white-lipped"  (dicotyles  labyatus.) 
In  form  and  habits  they  are  very  similar  to  each  other. 
In  size  and  color  they  differ.  The  "  white-lipped"  is  the 
larger.  Its  color  is  dark  brown,  nearly  black,  while  that 
of  the  collared  peccary  is  a  uniform  iron-grey,  with  the 
exception  of  the  band  or  collar  upon  its  shoulders.  The 
distinctive  markings  are  on  the  former  species  a  greyish- 
white  patch  along  the  jaws,  and  on  the  other  a  yellowish- 
white  belt  embracing  its  neck  and  shoulders,  as  a  collar 
does  a  horse.  These  markings  have  given  to  each  its 
specific  name.  They  are  further  distinguished  by  the 
forehead  of  .the  white-lipped  peccary  being  more  hollowed 
or  concave  than  that  of  its  congener.  In  most  other 
respects  these  creatures  are  alike.  Both  feed  upon  roots, 
fruits,  frogs,  toads,  lizards,  and  snakes.  Both  make  their 
•(318) 


A  WILD-HOG  HUNT  IN  TEXAS.  319 

lair  in  hollow  logs,  or  in  caves  among  the  rocks,  and  both 
are  gregarious  in  their  habits.  In  this  last  habit,  how' 
ever,  there  is  some  difference.  The  white-lipped  species 
associate  in  troops  to  the  number  of  hundreds,  and  even 
as  many  as  a  thousand  have  been  seen  together ;  whereas 
the  others  do  not  live  in  such  large  droves,  but  are  oftener 
met  with  in  pairs.  Yet  this  difference  of  habit  may 
arise  from  the  fact  that  in  the  places  where  both  have 
been  observed,  the  latter  have  not  been  so  plenty  as  the 
white-lipped  species.  I  myself  have  seen  nearly  a  hun- 
dred of  the  collared  peccary  in  one  "gang,"  and  no 
doubt  had  there  been  more  of  them  in  the  neighborhood, 
the  flock  would  have  been  still  larger. 

The  white-lipped  species  does  not  extend  to  the  north- 
ern half  of  the  American  continent.  Its  habitat  is  in 
the  great  tropical  forest  of  Guyana  and  Brazil,  and  it  is 
found  much  further  south,  being  common  in  Paraguay. 
It  is  there  known  as  the  "vaquira,"  whence  our  word 
"peccary."'  The  other  species  is  also  found  in  South 
America,  and  is  distinguished  as  the  "  vaquira  de  collar" 
(collared  peccary.)  Of  course  they  both  have  trivial 
Indian  names,  differing  in  different  parts  of  the  country. 
The  former  is  called  in  Paraguay  "  Tagnicati,"  while  the 
latter  is  the  "Taytetou."  Neither  species  is  so  numer- 
ous as  they  were  in  former  times.  They  have  been  thin- 
ned off  by  hunting — not  for  the  value  either  of  their 


320  A  WILD-HOG  HUNT  IN  TEXAS. 

flesh  or  their  skins,  not  for  the  mere  sport  either,  but  on 
account  of  their  destructive  habits.  In  the  neighborhood 
of  settlements  they  make  frequent  forays  into  the  maize 
and  mamoa  fields,  and  they  will  lay  waste  a  plantation  of 
sugar-cane  in  a  single  night.  For  this  reason  it  is  that 
'war  of  extermination  has  long  been  waged  against  them 
by  the  planters  and  their  dependants. 

As  I  have  stated,  it  is  believed  that  the  white-lipped 
species  is  not  found  in  North  America.  I  think  it  pro- 
bable that  it  does  exist  in  the  forests  of  South  Mexico. 
The  natural  history  of  these  countries  is  as  yet  to  be 
thoroughly  investigated.  The  Mexicans  have  unfortu- 
nately employed  all  their  time  in  making  revolutions. 
But  a  new  period  has  arrived.  The  Panama  railroad,  the 
Nicaragua  canal,  and  the  route  of  Tehuantepec,  will  soon 
be  open,  when  among  the  foremost  who  traverse  these 
hitherto  unfrequented  regions,  will  be  found  troops  of 
naturalists,  of  the  Audubon  school,  who  will  explore  every 
nook  and  corner  of  Central  America.  Indeed  already 
some  progress  has  been  made  in  this  respect. 

The  two  species  of  peccaries,  although  so  much  alike, 
never  associate  together,  and  do  not  seem  to  havaany 
knowledge  of  a  relationship  existing  between  them.  In- 
deed, what  is  very  singular,  they  are  never  found  in  the 
same  woods.  A  district  frequented  by  the  one,  is  always 
without  the  other. 


A  WILD-HOG  HUNT  IN  TEXAS.  321 

The  collared  peccary  is  the  only  species  found  in  North 
America ;  and  of  it  I  shall  new  particularly  speak.  It  is 
met  with  when  you  approach  the  more  southern  latitudes 
westward  of  the  Mississippi  river.  In  that  great  wing 
of  the  continent,  to  the  eastward  of  this  river,  and  now 
occupied  by  the  United  States,  no  such  animal  exists, 
nor  is  there  any  proof  that  it  was  ever  known  to  exist 
there  in  its  wild  state.  In  the  new  states  formed  out  of 
Texas,  it  is  a  common  animal,  and  its  range  extends 
westward  to  the  Pacific,  and  south  throughout  the  re- 
mainder of  the  continent. 

As  you  proceed  westward,  the  line  of  its  range  rises 
considerably ;  and  in  New  Mexico,  it  is  met  with  as  high 
as  the  thirty-third  parallel.  This  is  just  following  the 
isothermal  line,  and  proves  that  the  peccary  cannot 
endure  the  rigors  of  a  severe  winter  climate.  It  is  a  pro- 
duction of  the  tropics  and  the  countries  adjacent. 

Some  naturalists  assert  that  it  is  a  forest-dwelling  ani- 
mal, and  is  never  seen  in  open  countries.  Others,  as 
Buffon,  state  that  it  makes  its  habitation  in  the  moun- 
tains, near  the  low  countries  -and  plains;  while  still 
others  have  declared  that  it  is  never  found  in  the  moun- 
tains. I  believe  none  of  these  "theories"  to  be  correct. 
It  is  well  known  to  frequent  the  forest-covered  plains  of 
Texas ;  and  Ernoy  (one  of  the  most  talented  of  modern 
observers)  reports  having  met  with  a  large  drove  of  pec- 


322  A  WILD-HOG  HUNT  IN  TEXAS. 

caries  in  the  almost  treeless  mountains  of  New  Mexico. 
The  fact  is,  the  peccary  is  a  wide  "ranger,"  and  fre- 
quents either  plains  or  mountains,  wherever  he  can  find 
the  roots  or  fruits  which  constitute. his  natural  food.  The 
range  he  likes  best  appears  to  he  the  dry  hilly  woods, 
where  he  finds  several  species  of  nuts  to  his  taste — such 
as  the  chinquapin  (castanea  permila,)  the  pecan  (Juglans 
olivueformis,)  and  the  acorns  of  several  species  of  oak, 
with  which  the  half  prairie  country  of  western  Texas 
abounds.  Further  than  to  eat  their  fruit,  the  forest  trees 
are  of  no  use  to  the  peccary.  He  is  not  a  climber,  as  he 
is  a  hoofed  animal.  But  in  the  absence  of  rocks,  or  cre- 
vices in  the  cliffs,  he  makes  his  lair  in  the  bottom  of  hol- 
low trees,  or  in  the  great  cavities  so  common  in  half 
decayed  logs.  He  prefers,  however,  a  habitation  among 
rocks,  as  experience  has  no  doubt  taught  him  that  it  is  a 
safer  retreat  both  from  hunters  and  fire. 

The  peccary  is  easily  distinguished  from  the  other 
forest  animals  by  his  rounded,  hog-like  form  and  sharp 
snout.  Although  pig-shape^,  he  is  extremely  active  and 
light  in  his  movements.  The  absence  of  a  tail — for  that 
member  is  represented  only  by  a  very  small  protuberance 
or  "  knob" — imparts  a  character  of  lightness  to  his  body. 
His  jaws  are  those  of  a  hog,  and  a  single  pair  of  tusks, 
protruding  near  the  angles  of  the  mouth,  gives  to  him  a 
fierce  and  dangerous  aspect.  These  are  more  certain  to 


A  WILD-HOG  HUNT  IN  TEXAS.  323 

be  seen  in  the  old  male  or  "boars."  The  ears  are  short 
and  almost  buried  in  the  long,  harsh  hair  or  bristles  that 
cover  the  whole  body,  but  are  much  longer  on  the  back. 
These,  when  erected  or  thrown  forward — as  is  the  case 
when  the  peccary  is  incensed — have  the  appearance  of  a 
stiff  mane  rising  all  along  the  neck,  shoulders,  and  back. 
At  such  times,  indeed,  the  rigid,  bristling  coat  over  the 
whole  body,  gives  somewhat  of  a  porcupine  appearance  to 
the  animal. 

The  peccary,  as  already  stated,  is  gregarious.  They 
wander  in  droves  of  twenty,  or  sometimes  more.  This, 
however,  is  only  in  the  winter.  In  the  season  of  love, 
and  during  the  period  of  gestation,  they  are  met  with 
only  in  pairs — a  male  and  female.  They  are  very  true 
to  each  other,  and  keep  close  together.  The  female  pro- 
duces two  young  at  a  litter.  These  are  of  a  reddish 
brown  color,  and  at  first  not  larger  than  young  puppies ; 
but  they  are  soon  able  to  follow  the  mother  through  the 
woods  ;  and  then  the  "family  party"  usually  consists  of 
four.  Later  in  the  season,  several  of  these  families  unite, 
and  keep  together,  partly  perhaps  from  having  met  by 
accident,  and  partly  for  mutual  protection ;  for  whenever 
one  of  their  number  is  attacked,  all  the  drove  takes  part 
against  the  assailant,  whether  he  be  hunter,  cougar,  or 
lynx.  As  they  use  their  teeth,  tusks,  and  sharp  fore 
hoofs  with  rapidity  and  effect,  they  become  a  very  formi- 


32-4  A  WILD  HOG-HUNT  IN  TEXAS. 

dable  and  dangerous  enemy.  The  cougar  is  often  killed 
and  torn  to  pieces  by  a  drove  of  peccaries,  that  he  has 
been  imprudent  enough  to  attack.  Indeed,  this  fierce 
creature  will  not  often  meddle  with  the  peccaries  when  he 
sees  them  in  large  numbers.  He  attacks  only  single 
ones;  but  their  "gruntings,"  which  can  be  heard  to  the 
distance  of  nearly  a  mile,  summon  the  rest,  and  he  is 
surrounded  before  he  is  aware  of  it,  and  seized  by  as 
many  as  can  get  around  him. 

The  Texian  hunter,  if  afoot,  will  not  dare  to  disturb 
a  drove  of  peccaries.  Even  when  mounted,  unless  the 
woods  be  open,  he  will  pass  them  by  without  rousing  their 
resentment.  But,  for  all  this,  the  animal  is  hunted  by 
the  settlers,  and  hundreds  are  killed  annually.  Its  ra- 
vages committed  upon  the  cornfields  make  them  many  ene- 
mies, who  go  after  them  with  a  desire  for  wholesale 
slaughter.  Hounds  are  employed  to  track  the  peccary 
and  bring  it  to  bay,  when  the  hunters  rides  up  and  finish 
the  chase  by  their  unerring  rifles.  A  flock  of  peccaries 
when  pursued,  will  sometimes  take  shelter  in  a  cave  or 
cleft  of  the  rocks,  one  of  their  number  standing  ready  at 
the  mouth.  When  this  one  is  shot  by  the  hunter,  another 
will  immediately  rush  out  and  take  its  place.  This  too 
being  destroyed,  will  be  replaced  by  a  third,  and  so  on 
until  the  whole  drove  has  fallen.  Should  the  hounds 
attack  the  peccary  while  by  themselves,  and  without  the 


A  WILD-HOG  HUNT  IN  TEXAS.  •         325 

aid  and  encouragement  of  the  hunter,  they  are  sure  to  be 
"routed,"  and  some  of  their  number  destroyed.  Indeed, 
this  little  creature,  of  not  more  than  two  feet  in  length, 
is  a  match  for  the  stoutest  bull-dog  !  I  have  myself  seen 
a  peccary  (a  caged  one,  too)  that  had  killed  no  less  than 
six  dogs — bull  and  mastiff  breed — all  of  them  considered 
fighting  dogs  of  first-rate  reputation. 

My  first  introduction  to  the  peccary  was  of  such  a  re- 
markable character,  that  I  am  not  likely  to  forget  the 
event.  It  gave  me,  among  the  frontier  settlers  of  Texas, 
the  reputation  of  a  "  mighty  hunter,"  though  how  far  I 
deserved  that  name  the  reader  may  judge  for  himself. 

I  was  for  some  weeks  the  guest  of  a  farmer  or  "  planter," 
who  had  lived  on  Trinity  Bottom.  We  had  been  out  in 
the  "timber"  several  times,  and  had  killed  bear,  deer, 
and  turkeys,  but  had  not  yet  had  the  luck  to  fall  in  with 
the  peccary,  although  we  never  went  abroad  without  see- 
ing their  tracks  or  some  other  indications  of  what  my 
friend  termed  "  peccary  sign."  The  truth  is  that  these 
animals  possess  the  sense  of  smell  in  the  keenest  degree ; 
and  they  are  usually  hidden  long  before  the  hunter  can 
see  them  or  come  near  them.  As  we  had  gone  without 
dogs,  of  course  we  were  not  likely  to  discover  which  cf 
the  nine  hundred  and  ninty-nine  hollow  logs  passed  in  a 
day,  was  the  precise  one  in  which  the  peccaries  had 
taken  shelter.  I  had  grown  very  curious  about  these 

28 


326  A  WILD-HOG  HUNT  IN  TEXAS. 

creatures.  Bear,  I  had  often  hunted — deer,  I  had  driven ; 
and  turkeys,  I  had  often  both  trapped  and  shot.  But  I  had 
never  yet  killed  a  peccary ;  in  fact,  had  never  seen  one. 
I  was  therefore  desirous  of  adding  the  tusk  of  these  wild 
boars  to  my  trophies  of  the  chase. 

My  desire  was  gratified  as  soon  as  I  expected,  and  to 
an  extent  I  had  never  dreamed  of ;  for  in  the  morning,  be- 
fore tasting  my  breakfast — I  caused  no  less  than  nineteen 
of  these  animals  to  utter  their  last  squeak  !  But  I  shall 
give  the  details  of  this  "feat"  as  they  happened. 

It  was  in  the  autumn  season — the  most  beautiful  season 
of  the  forest — when  the  foliage  obtains  its  tints  of  gold, 
orange,  and  purple.  I  was  a-bed  in  the  house  of  my  friend, 
but  was  awakened  out  of  my  sleep  by  the  gobbling  of  wild 
turkeys  that  sounded  close  to  the  house.  Although  there 
was  not  a  window  in  my  room,  the  yellow  beams  stream- 
ing in  through  the  chinks  of  the  low  wall,  told  me  that  it 
was  after  "  sun-up,"  as  they  phrase  it  in  Texas.  I  arose, 
drew  on  my  garments  and  hunting  habiliments,  took  my 
rifle  and  stole  out.  I  said  nothing  to  any  one,  as  there 
was  no  one — white  or  negro — to  be  seen  stirring  about 
the  place.  I  wanted  to  steal  a  march  upon  my  friend, 
and  show  him  how  smart  I  was,  by  bagging  a  fat  young 
gobbler  for  breakfast. 

As  soon  as  I  had  got  round  the  house,  I  saw  the 
turkeys — a  large  gang  of  them.  They  were  out  in  an  old 


A  WILD  HOG-HUNT  IN  TEXAS.  327 

cornfield,  feeding  upon  such  of  the  seeds  as  had  been 
dropped  in  the  corn  gathering.  They  were  too  far  off 
for  my  gun  to  reach  them,  and  I  entered  among  the  corn- 
stalks to  get  near  them.  I  soon  perceived  that  they  were 
feeding  towards  the  woods,  and  that  they  were  likely  to 
enter  them  at  a  certain  point.  Could  I  only  reach  that 
point  before  them,  reflected  I,  I  should  be  sure  of  a  fair 
shot.  I  had  only  to  go  back  to  the  house  and  keep 
around  the  edge  of  the  field,  where  there  happened  to  be 
some  "cover."  In  this  way  I  would  be  sure  to  head 
them-^that  is,  could  I  but  reach  the  woods  in  time. 

I  lost  not  a  moment  in  setting  out ;  and,  running  most 
of  the  way,  I  reached  the  desired  point.  I  was  now  about 
a  half  a  mile  from  my  friend's  house — for  the  cornfield 
was  a  very  large  one — such  as  you  may  only  see  in  the 
great  plantations  of  the  far  western  world.  I  saw  that  I 
had  headed  the  turkeys,  with  some  time  to  spare ;  and 
choosing  a  convenient  log,  I  sat  down  to  await  their  com- 
ing. I  placed  myself  in  such  a  situation  that  I  was 
completely  hidden  by  the  broad  green  leaves  of  some  paw- 
paw trees  that  grew  over  the  log. 

I  had  not  been  in  the  position  over  a  minute,  I  should 
think,  when  a  slight  rustling  among  the  leaves  attracted 
my  attention.  I  looked  and  saw,  issuing  from  under  the 
rubbish,  the  long  body  of  a  snake.  As  yet,  I  could  not 
see  its  tail,  which  was  hidden  by  the  grass ;  but  the  form 


328  A  WILD-HOG  HUNT  IN  TEXAS. 

of  the  head  and  the  peculiar  chevon-like  markings  of  tho 
body,  convinced  me  it  was  the  "  Banded  Rattle-snake" 
(Crotalus  Duressus.)  It  was  slowly  gliding  out  into  some 
open  ground,  with  the  intention  of  crossing  to  a  thicket 
upon  the  other  side.  I  had  disturbed  it  from  the  log, 
where  it  had  no  doubt  been  sunning  itself;  and  it  was  now 
making  away  from  me. 

My  first  thought  was  to  follow  the  hideous  reptile,  and 
kill  it ;  but  reflecting  that  if  I  did  so  I  should  expose 
myself  to  the  view  of  the  turkeys,  I  concluded  to  remain 
where  I  was,  and  let  it  escape.  I  watched  it  slowly 
drawing  itself  along — for  this  species  makes  but  slow 
progress — until  it  was  near  the  middle  of  the  glade,  when 
I  again  turned  my  attention  to  the  birds,  that  had  now 
advanced  almost  within  range  of  my  gun.  I  >was  just 
getting  ready  to  fire,  when  a  strange  noise,  like  the  grunt 
of  a  small  pig,  sounded  in  my  ears  from  the  glade,  and 
again  caused  me  to  look  in  that  direction.  As  I  did  so, 
my  eyes  fell  upon  a  curious  little  animal  just  emerging 
from  the  bushes.  Its  long,  sharp  snout — its  pig-like 
form — the  absence  of  a  tail — the  high  rump,  and  whitish 
band  along  the  shoulders,  were  all  marks  of  description 
which  I  remembered.  The  animal  could  be  no  other  than 
a  peccary.  As  I  gazed  upon  it  with  curious  eyes,  another 
emerged  from  the  bushes,  and  then  another,  and  another, 
until  a  good-sized  drove  of  them  were  in  sight. 


A  WILD  HOG-HUNT  IN  TEXAS.  329 

The  rattle-snake,  on  seeing  the  first  one,  had  laid  his 
head  flat  upon  the  ground;  and  evidently  terrified,  was 
endeavoring  to  conceal  himself  in  the  grass.  But  it  was 
a  smooth  piece  of  turf,  and  he  did  not  succeed.  The  pec- 
cary had  already  espied  him ;  and  upon  the  instant  his 
hinder  parts  were  raised  to  their  full  height,  his  mane 
became  rigid,  and  the  hair  over  his  whole  body  stood  erect, 
radiating  on  all  sides  outwards.  The  appearance  of  the 
creature  was  changed  in  an  instant,  and  I  could  perceive 
that  the  air  was  becoming  impregnated  with  a  disagree- 
able odour,  which  the  incensed  animal  emitted  from  its 
dorsal  gland.  Without  stopping  longer  than  a  moment, 
he  rushed  forward,  until  he  stood  within  three  feet  of  the 
body  of  the  snake.  Bancroft  UbMTJ 

The  latter,  seeing  he  could  no  longer  conceal  himself, 
threw  himself  into  a  coil  and  stood  upon  his  defence.  His 
eyes  glared  with  a  fiery  lustre  ;  the  skir-r-r  of  his  rattles 
could  be  heard  almost  incessantly ;  while  with  his  upraised 
head  he  struck  repeatedly  in  the  direction  of  his  enemy. 
These  demonstrations  brought  the  whole  drove  of  pecca- 
ries to  the  spot,  and  in  a  moment  a  circle  of  them  had 
formed  around  the  reptiler  that  did  not  know  which  to 
strike  at,  but  kept  launching  with  his  head  recklessly  in 
all  directions.  The  peccaries  stood  with  their  backs  highly 
arched  and  their  feet  drawn  up  together,  like  so  many 
angrf  cats,  threatening  and  uttering  shrill  grunts.  Then 

28* 


330  A  WILD  HOG-HUNT  IN  TEXAS. 

one  of  them,  I  think  the  first  that  had  appeared,  rose  sud- 
denly into  the  air,  and  with  his  four  hoofs  held  close 
together,  came  pounce  down  upon  the  coiled  body  of  the 
snake.  Another  followed  in  a  similar  manner,  and 
another,  until  I  could  see  the  long  carcass  of  the  reptile 
unfolded,  and  twisting  over-  the  ground.  After  a  short 
while  it  lay  still,  crushed  beneath  their  feet.  The  whole 
squad  then  seized  it  in  their  teeth,  and  tearing  it  to  pieces, 
devoured  it  almost  instantaneously. 

From  the  moment  these  peccaries  had  appeared  in  sight 
I  had  given  up  all  thoughts  about  the  turkeys.  I  had  re- 
solved to  send  my  leaden  messenger  in  quite  a  different 
direction.  Turkeys  I  could  have  had  at  almost  any  thae ; 
but  it  was  not  every  day  that  the  peccaries  appeared  So 
I  "  slewed"  myself  round  upon  the  log,  raised  my  rifle 
cautiously,  "marked"  the  biggest  "boar"  I  could  sec  in 
the  drove,  and  fired. 

I  heard  the  boar  squeak  (as  so  did  all  of  them,)  and 
saw  him  fall  over,  either  killed  or  badly  wounded.  But 
had  little  time  to  tell  which,  for  the  smoke  had  hardly 
.cleared  out  of  my  eyes,  when  I  perceived  the  whole  gang 
of  peccaries,  instead  of  running  away,  as  I  had  expected, 
coming  full  towards  me  ! 

In  a  moment  I  was  surrounded  by  a  dark  mass  of  ugly 
creatures,  leaping  wildly  at  my  legs,  uttering  shrill  Brunts 
and  making  their  teeth  crack  like  castanets. 


A  WILD  HOG-HUNT  IN  TEXAS.  331 

I  ran  for  the  highest  part  of  the  log,  but  this  proved 
no  security.  The  peccaries  leaped  up  on  it  and  followed. 
I  struck  with  the  butt  of  my  clubbed  gun,  and  knocked 
them  off ;  but  again  they  surrounded  me,  leaping  upward 
and  snapping  at  my  legs  until  hardly  a  shred  remained  of 
my  trousers.  I  saw  that  I  was  in  extreme  peril,  and  put 
forth  all  my  energies.  I  swept  my  gun  wildly  around  me  ; 
but  where  one  of  the  fierce  brutes  was  knocked  off  another 
leaped  into  its  place,  as  determined  as  he.  Still,  I  had 
no  help,  for  it  I  shouted  at  the  top  of  my  voice,  all  the 
while  battling  with  desperation. 

I  still  kept  on  the  highest  point  of  the  log,  as  there 
they  could  not  all  come  around  me  at  once ;  and  I  saw 
that  I  could  there  better  defend  myself.  But  even  with 
this  advantage,  the  assaults  of  the  animal  were  so  incessant, 
and  my  exertions  in  keeping  them  off  so  continuous,  that 
I  was  in  danger  of  falling  into  their  very  jaws  from 
exhaustion.  I  was  growing  weak  and  wearied.  I  was 
beginning  to  despair  for  my  life,  when  on  winding  my  gun 
wer  my  head,  in  order  to  give  force  to  my  blows,  I  felt 
it  strike  something  behind  me.  It  was  the  branch  of  a 
tree,  that  stretched  over  the  spot  where  I  was  standing. 
A  new  thought  came  into  my  mind.  Could  I  climb  the 
tree — I  knew  that  they  could -not — and  then  I  would  be 
safe.  I  looked  upward ;  the  branch  was  within  reach.  I 
seized  upon  it  and  brought  it  nearer  I  drew  a  long 


332  A  WILD  HOG-HUNT  IN  TEXAS. 

breath,  and  with  all  the  strength  that  remained  in  my 
body  sprang  upward.  I  succeeded  in  getting  upon  the 
limb,  and  the  next  moment  I  had  crawled  along  it,  and 
sat  in  close  by  the  trunk.  I  breathed  freely — I  was  safe. 
It  was  long  before  I  thought  of  any  thing  else  than  rest- 
ing myself.  I  remained  a  full  half  hour  before  I  moved 
in  my  perch.  Occasionally  I  looked  down  on  my  late 
tormentors.  I  saw  that  instead  of  going  off,  they  still  re- 
mained upon  the  scene.  They  ran  around  the  root  of 
the  tree,  leaping  up  against  its  trunk,  and  tearing  the 
bark  with  their  teeth.  They  kept  constantly  uttering 
their  shrill,  disagreeable  grunts ;  an  odour,  resembling 
the  smell  of  garlick,  which  they  emitted  from  their  dorsal 
glands,  almost  stifled  me.  I  saw  that  they  showed  no 
disposition  to  retire,  but,  on  the  contrary,  were  determined 
to  make  me  stand  a  siege. 

Now  and  then  they  passed  out  to  where  their  dead 
comrade  lay  upon  the  grass,  but  this  seemed  only  to  bind 
their  resolution,  for  they  always  returned  again,  grunting 
as  nercely  as  ever. 

I  had  hopes  that  my  friend  would  be  up  by  this  time, 
and  would  come  to  my  rescue;  but  it  was  not  likely 
neither,  as  he  would  not  "miss"  me  until  I  had  remained 
long  enough  to  make  my  absence  seem  strange.  As  it 
was,  that  would  not  be  until  after  night,  or  perhaps  far  in 
the  next  day.  It  was  no  unusual  thing  for  me  to  wander 


A  WILD  HOG-HUNT  IN  TEXAS.  383 

off  with  my  gun,  and  be  gone  for  a  period  of  at  least 
twenty  hours. 

I  sat  for  hours  on  my  painful  perch — now  looking  down 
at  the  spiteful  creatures  beneath — now  bending  my  eyes 
across  the  great  cornfield,  in  hopes  of  seeing  some  one. 
At  times  the  idea  crossed  my  mind  that  even  upon  the 
morrow  I  might  not  be  missed  I 

I  might  perish  with  hunger — with  thirst :  I  was  suffer- 
ing from  both  at  the  moment — -or  even  if  kept  alive,  I 
might  become  so  weak  as  not  to  be  able  to  hold  on  to  the 
tree.  My  seat  was  far  from  being  an  easy  one.  The 
tree  was  small — the  branch  was  slender.  It  was  already 
cutting  into  my  thighs.  I  might,  in  my  feebleness,  be 

compelled  to  let  it  go,  and  then — .     These  reflections 

were  terrible ;  and  as  they  came  across  my  mind  I  shouted 
to  the  highest  pitch  of  my  voice,  hoping  it  would  be  heard. 

Up  to  this  time  I  had  not  thought  of  using  my  gun, 
although,  clinging  to  it  instinctively  I  had  brought  it  with 
me  into  the  tree.  It  now  occurred  to  me  to  fire  it,  in 
hopes  that  my  friend  or  some  one  would  hear  the  report. 

I  balanced  myself  on  the  branch  as  well  as  I  could, 
and  Icraded  it  with  powder.  I  was  about  to  fire  it  off  in 
the  air,  when  it  occurred  to  me  that  I  might  as  well  re- 
duce the  number  of  my  enemies.  I  therefore  rammed  down 
a  ball,  took  aim  at  the  forehead  of  one,  and  knocked  him 
kicking  over. 


334  A  WILD  HOG-HUNT  IN  TEXAS. 

Another  idea  rose  in  my  mind,  and  that  was,  that  1 
might  serve  the  whole  gang  as  I  had  done  this  one.  His 
fall  had  not  frightened  them  in  the  least ;  they  only  came 
nearer,  throwing  up  their  snouts  and  uttering  their  shrill 
notes ;  thus  giving  me  a  better  chance  of  hitting  them. 

I  repeated  the  loading  and  firing.  Another  enemy  the 
less.  Hope  began  to  return.  I  counted  my  bullets,  and 
held  my  horn  up  to  the  sun.  There  were  over  twenty 
bullets,  and  powder  sufficient.  I  counted  the  peccaries. 
Sixteen  still  lived,  with  three  that  I  had  done  for.  I  again 
loaded  and  fired — loaded  and  fired — loaded  and  fired.  I 
aimed  so  carefully  each  time,  that  out  of  all  I  missed  only 
one  shot.  When  the  firing  had  ceased,  I  dropped  down 
from  my  perch  in  the  midst  of  a  scene  that  resembled  a 
great  slaughter-yard.  Nineteen  of  the  creatures  lay  dead 
around  the  tree,  and  the  ground  was  saturated  with  their 
blood. 

The  voice  of  my  friend  at  this  moment  sounded  in  my 
ears,  and  turning,  I  beheld  him  standing,  with  hands 
uplifted  and  eyes  like  a  pair  of  saucers.  He  was  perfectly 
astounded. 


HUNTING  THE  BLACK-TAILED  DEER. 

THE  following  is  Mr.  Palliser's  account  of  the  pursuit 
of  a  black-tailed  deer,  with  a  description  of  that  interest- 
ing animal. 

At  a  distance  my  companion  perceived  three  black- 
tailed  deer  on  the  higher  hills  overhanging  the  river.  He 
started  in  pursuit,  while  I  remained  to  take  care  of  the 
dogs,  that  they  should  not  interfere  with  him  and  spoil 
his  stalk.  I  had  an  excellent  view  then  of  both  the 
hunter  and  his  game,  which  he  approached  with  great 
skill ;  and  at  last  he  got  a  shot,  on  which  the  animals 
rushed  off,  but  one  hobbled  in  the  rear ;  the  bullet  had 
broken  his  leg.  A  most  exciting  race  then  commenced 
between  the  Indian  and  his  broken-legged  deer,  up  and 
down  hill  over  the  frozen  snow,  my  companion  evincing 
the  most  astonishing  powers  of  endurance  in  his  perse- 
vering pursuit,  gradually  regaining  the  ground  he  had  lost 
in  loading  as  he  ran;  till,  far  in  the  distance  I  saw  a  puff 
of  smoke,  and  before  the  faint  report  of  his  long  gun 

(335) 


336  HUNTING  THE  BLACK-TAILED  DEER. 

reached  my  ear,  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  descrying  the 
deer  stretched  in  the  snow. 

I  fastened  one  dog  behind  the  sledge  of  the  other, 
which  I  led  hy  a  string  tied  round  his  neck,  and  in  this 
way  ran  along  the  river,  keeping  in  sight  of  my  compan- 
ion, and  joined  him  shortly  after  the  fall  of  the  black-tailed 
deer. 

These  are  a  peculiar  species  found  only  in  these 
regions,  differing  from  the  Virginian  breed  in  the  horns, 
which  are  longer  and  curve  more  upwards ;  their  meat, 
however,  is  not  nearly  so  good,  nor  are  they  so  difficult 
to  approach.  A  black  ring  round  the  tail  forms  a  striking 
characteristic,  as  also  their  very  large  ears  ;  the  hair  of 
the  animal's  coat  is  long  and  very  handsomely  colored ; 
in  size  they  exceed  the  Virginian,  and  equal  the  Scotch. 

This  deer  I  do  not  think  has  ever  graced  any  of  the 
private  or  public  zoological  collections  in  the  country.  It 
is,  however,  a  beautiful  animal,  and  its  skin  makes  the 
best  and  most  serviceable  light  leather. 


THE  END. 


